Flowers on the Precipice
by Twix10
Summary: We think a flower on a cliff is beautiful because we stop our feet at the cliff's edge, unable to step out into the sky like that fearless flower. Chapter 6 now up! Sorry for the wait...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any characters thereof. They are the property of Kubo Tite: I am merely borrowing them for your reading pleasure.**

_**Author's note: **_This story is going to be my first multi-chaptered story. I would love to have some feedback on how well it is going, so please, if you have any comments or constructive criticism, let me know as they are kindly welcomed

**This is an IchiHime, RenRuki fanfiction as both are my OTPs in Bleach. **

**Flowers on the Precipice **

_**Chapter 1: The beginning**_

Dammit. He was running out of breath and room to run.

"Onii-chan, he's getting closer."

He didn't need to be told that. Whatever that thing was, he could feel it closing in behind him.

The wailing sound blasted through the air again, almost pushing him off course but he kept running, glancing back just in time then to duck another swipe at him and the little passenger.

As he started running again, he thanked the kamis that it was so dark out. Heaven knows what people would say, seeing him running, jumping, ducking and dodging all alone in an empty park. They wouldn't see the blonde headed child on his back, nor the huge black and white beast that was chasing them.

Only he could.

That's right. Ever since he could remember, he had been able to see ghosts. He could see them so clearly when he was younger he hadn't been able to separate the dead from the living. Lately, he had started to see these monsters too. This was the third one he had seen in fact. He didn't know what they were but he knew what they wanted. The first one he'd seen had taught him that. It had been chasing a young mother and her son. At first, it had just seemed like a big blur chasing them but after a little while, the image got clearer and clearer. By the time he could fully make out the form though, it had caught up and devoured them both in front of his eyes and disappeared again before he could even reach them.

"It's getting really close. Onii-chan, maybe you should just leave me and save yourself. I'm happy that you want to help but…I'm already dead, so you should just save yourself."

They weren't going to make it.

He was slowing down, his leg muscles screaming from exertion, his lungs burning with the effort of transporting the well needed oxygen into his body.

'_I guess we have no other choice_.'

"Onii-chan?" the little boy asked surprised as they suddenly stopped and were now facing the beast.

"Tch, I guess we have no other choice. Stay behind me, Tetsuo."

"Onii-chan, what are you going to do? You can't take on that thing. You'll…."

"Just stay behind me, okay?" the youth reiterated gently, "It'll be okay."

His eyes scanned the area quickly for something he could use as a weapon and landed on a piece of metal pipe about four feet long a little to his right. Moving quickly, he slid to that side, grabbing the boy behind him. He only had a second to raise it before the huge fist came crashing down.

"Ungh."

The sound whooshed out of him from the force of keeping that huge fist from falling on them.

"Onii-chan," Tetsuo cried worriedly behind him, his fist clenched tightly in the dark blue fabric of his sweater.

'_Dammit_,' he thought as the fist raised and descended gain, '_this thing is outrageously strong. It's pushing me further and further back with every hit. If this continues, my arms are going to be of no use from just trying to block him. Additionally, if the powerful arms don't crush us, that tail like a scorpion is going to be our end. What do I do then_?'

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_Was that the last of them?_

It was weird. That had been the eighth one tonight. It made her feel very suspicious. She had never encountered so many hollows within such a short amount of time, in all her time here.

The cell-phone started to beep again.

Another one!?

This one was all the way across town. _What the hell was going on?_ she wondered as she jumped from her perch on the top of the light post and started off. She'd only been here for two months serving as the resident shinigami overseeing this town and in the last two weeks, she had seen more hollows than she had ever seen in all two months.

It was that sudden increase in activity that made her slightly anxious. Why were the attacks increasing so suddenly? She shook her head mentally and hurried her pace. She should hurry and get to it before it did damage.

The blurred image of the fast moving dark-haired figure passed unseen by the rest of the world as she hurried to her destination. As she hurried, she kept watch on the screen on her detector phone. The blip was stationary. It hadn't moved in the past few minutes at all. That could only mean it already had a target in its sight. That in mind, she forced herself to go even faster.

She reached the spot in less than ten minutes but pinpointing exactly where the hollow was turned out to be a little trickier. For some reason, she couldn't feel it even though the screen said it was there. Added to that, she was in a park and there were no lights on to show her much of anything, the sky was over-clouded, making use of the moonlight out of the question.

She checked the radar again. The hollow had only moved slightly from the area, somewhere that should be a little to her left but she couldn't sense it anywhere.

Something was wrong.

It was the only thing she could think of. She should be able to sense the hollow at least from such a close range but she couldn't feel it anywhere. She frowned and jumped down from her perch in the tree, landing gracefully on her feet, her dark robes rustling slightly in the wind.

"Where is it?" she asked aloud before setting off again, moving more to her left in attempt to get a lock on the hollow.

She had gone no more than a few yards when she came upon a scene that had her almost falling in the midst of skipping from tree to tree.

There in the middle of a sand pit was a young boy and a bright headed youth battling off the hollow. Shock held her still.

"What are those two idiots thinking?"

She didn't even realize she shouted this aloud until the two turned to look at her.

_A girl? What the hell was she doing so high in a tree this late at night in a dark park? Was she another soul?_

The thoughts came in rapid succession. With some effort, he forced back the hollow and spared another glance in her direction. She was looking straight at them. She could see them then. '_Good_,' he thought.

"Hey," he called out, "If you can see us, get this kid and both you of you get out of here."

'_Huh_?' The dark-haired girl looked around her, not quite believing that he was addressing her.

"I'm talking to you, idiot! There isn't anyone else around is there?" he retorted on seeing her reaction, his hands straining to still hold off the hand that was coming ever so closer to crushing him.

"He can see me!?"

Belatedly she realized the impact of the situation. That teen was not another spirit but a human being and…he was actually holding off a hollow…seeing it. He could see her too. What the hell was going on?

The cell-phone blipped again. Another one. She had to get rid of this one fast then.

The youth shifted the piece of pipe down and skipped out of the way, his arms aching from the strength required to hold off just one fist. The fist landed inches away from him, creating a huge crater where he would have been. That would have definitely killed him.

"Oi, Ugly. Over here. Why don't you try me on for size?"

'_What the hell was she doing?_' he thought as the girl landed a little to the right of the beast. '_Was she crazy? She's like an ant compared to that thing. What is she trying to do? Get herself killed? The idiot_.'

The beast let loose another of that loud wailing cry and turned to her. In another instant, it was attacking her, sending its powerful tail, the pointed end going right at her.

"Dammit," he muttered as the girl just stood there. He turned to Tetsuo. "Stay here."

With that he started off as quickly as he could, trying to get to her before that tail hit.

So caught up was she in watching the movements of the beast and timing her attack, that she didn't see him coming. Just as she was about to unsheathe the katana at her side and deal the finishing blow, he railroaded her, knocking her hard to the side, whipping the breath out of her as he landed half on top of her. The tail dug in the exact spot she had stood in only seconds before, sending debris flying everywhere.

"What are you trying to do, idiot? If you are looking to die, go do it somewhere else."

A tick of annoyance throbbed at her temples but before she could respond, she saw the flash of movement behind him. Moving as quickly as she could, she pushed him out of the way and tried to roll out of the way. She wasn't quick enough though and the sharp point of the tail sank painfully into her side.

"Idiot, what the hell are you doing?" the boy yelled at her as he grabbed the metal pipe and ran over. "Are you seriously trying to get killed?"

With a heavy swing, he hit the tail hard, tearing it in two and causing the beast to wail harder and back away. While the beast was busy wailing, he grabbed the end sticking into her side and pulled it out before fluidly tossing her over his shoulders like a sack of rice. He was getting them out of here. As he started to run, he snatched the boy under his arm and set off as fast as he could.

"Wh…What are you doing?" the girl spluttered, "Put me down this instant, you fool. Put me down or we're all going to die."

"What are you babbling about? You were the one that almost died. Are you a retard?"

"I'm a shinigami, baka. I wouldn't have died. I wouldn't have even gotten injured either if it wasn't for you. Just put me down and let me get rid of this thing. Don't involve yourself or you'll get killed."

"Are you joking? That thing is dangerous, not just to me but to you too. What the hell do you mean you're a shinigami anyway…and what is that thing?"

"That is a hollow, an evil spirit."

The beeping interrupted anything else she might have added and she belatedly recalled that there had been another. It must have moved. She checked the radar. Dammit. It was heading straight in this direction. Why was it coming here? She had enough on her hands with this one and taking care of these two.

She clicked the phone shut and looked up, expecting to see the hollow behind them as before but was surprised beyond words when she didn't see it anywhere.

"Matte," she called out suddenly.

"What the hell are you saying?" the boy asked not even pausing, "That thing is right on top of us."

"It's not following," she replied.

"It ain't behind us idiot. It's running beside us and another one's coming close too."

"What are you talking about?"

"I can feel it," he responded, "We have to get to the other side of this park, in the open."

'_What is he talking about_?' she wondered. She couldn't sense any hollows nearby yet he was saying that he could, that he could even sense the other one. She paused in mid thought…he had spoken of the other one. She hadn't said anything about the other one and as a human, he couldn't know about the detector. What the hell was he? Was he right about the two hollows? Closing her eyes, she focused her mind.

She could barely feel it now, the presence of the two converging on them. Even so, it was like she was experiencing the event through a thick haze. It was like something was preventing her from fully sensing them. Exactly what was going on?

The boy stopped suddenly, setting her on her feet before pushing her and the boy behind him.

"They're coming," was all he said.

She stared ahead and sure enough, less than a second later; the two hollows were there, one from the left, the other bursting out from right in front of them.

This was a dangerous situation. With two hollows and trying to protect them, it wasn't going to be easy. She would have to get the closest one and then go after the other one right after, as quickly as she could before it got to them. That in mind, she charged at the one that was closest, the one they had been fighting before.

"What are you doing?"

She ignored the question and launched herself upwards, unsheathing her sword as she started to come down. Not expecting any of them to charge at it, the hollow didn't have time to react and she was able to slice right through it, splitting it right down the middle. Somersaulting mid air, she landed soundlessly in the middle as the beast started to disappear.

He stared in shock, unable to believe what he had just seen. If Tetsuo didn't suddenly start pulling his clothes, he would have just kept staring in disbelief.

"Look," the little boy cried, pointing above them, "It's sending something this way."

The other hollow had jumped in the air and released a big blob from its mouth. As they watched, the blob transformed into a smaller version of the hollow and headed straight for the girl. Sensing it, she turned and swiped at it with her sword. The thing dodged and spat some goo at her. She raised her hand to prevent the goo from falling in her eyes as she shifted out of the way.

At the same time, from the periphery of his view, he saw the bigger hollow suddenly head, very quickly, straight for her. She wouldn't see it. He knew it without question. She had her hand raised to stop the goo but it had been a move to distract her so that the big one could attack.

Without thinking, he moved off.

"Onee-san! Watch out!"

She barely heard the call and by the time she realized he was warning her, it was too late.

'_Dammit to hell. It had been a trap. Why didn't I see it?_' she thought now as she watched those vicious claws head straight for her. It was too close. She wouldn't be able to get away in time. It was going to hit badly no matter what. She closed her eyes, waiting on the impact.

But it never came. Instead, she felt her body hurling through the air to land painfully a few feet away from where she had stood. Shock made her open her eyes only to see the claws sink right through the boy's abdomen. His eyes widened in pain.

"Fool," she screamed at him even as she set her katana in front of her and jumped into the air again. The katana cut cleanly through the hand impaling him, causing both the boy and it to fall to the ground.

Pain rang in every corner of his being from a burning center in his abdomen. In horrid fascination, he stared down at the grotesque thing sticking out of him. Red liquid was quickly staining the white t-shirt he was wearing under his blue sweater, pooling hot under him and staining the ground red. Seeing it, it sank in then that he was probably going to die.

'_This is a shitty way to go_,' he couldn't help thinking then. '_I've only been in this town for seventeen days and now I'm going to die. I haven't even been to school once yet_.'

"Onii-chan! Onii-chan!"

Tetsuo was calling him but he sounded so far away, so distant. He tried to answer him, to let him know he was okay but even as his throat moved, no sound came. His vision was also starting to blur. He blinked trying to make the fuzziness go away but it didn't work.

"Idiot. What were you trying to do? Didn't I tell you not to get involved?"

He shifted his head slightly at the words to stare at the girl.

She was bending to his right on her knees, her right hand holding her left side, blood spewing between her fingers. Her face showed splatters of blood too but he couldn't tell if it was hers or the hollow's. He felt suddenly relieved though to see her.

"You're alive."

"Idiot, stop spewing nonsense. What are you worrying about me for? You should be worried about yourself."

The raven haired girl eyed the thickening pool beneath him. She'd been careless and he'd paid the price. She couldn't help but think that way…and now he was going to die because of her.

"Oi," she called as his eyes drifted down, "Oi."

He struggled to keep his eyes open and focus on her but they felt so heavy.

"Onee-san, can't you help him? Isn't there a way to help him, Onee-san?"

The dark-haired girl turned her amethyst eyes on the little boy.

"I don't want him to die," the boy cried, "He was only trying to help me. Please…don't let him die."

The cry tore at her. She turned her attention back to the boy.

He was young, couldn't be more than eighteen in fact, the most distinguishing feature being that bright orange hair, so clear now that she was up close. In normal circumstances, he would be around her age.

"Isn't there a way to help him?" the boy cried again.

There was only one…and even so, it would be temporary. It was all she could think of to do but why bother if it would only last a few hours at most…? An idea hit her suddenly. It just might be possible to save him entirely.

"What are you doing, Onee-san?" Tetsuo asked as the girl ripped off one leg of her clothes and stood over the youth. With one pull, she yanked the hand from his abdomen.

"Help me get this around him," she ordered.

Her tone was serious and he jumped to it, deciding she must have come up with something to help him. They quickly bound the gaping hole but the blood was still rushing out from him unchecked.

With the binding in place, the petite female suddenly pulled a cell-phone from her robes and dialed a number.

"I need a favor," she said into the phone, "Send some help at the coordinates I'm sending."

She hung up and turned to him.

"And now we wait," was all she said to him.

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A/N: There is going to be quite a lot of IchiRuki interactions in this fic as well as I love their close relationship. I do not see them as romantic but I do love their relationship and will write them as I see them portrayed.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews and the encouragement. I really appreciate the time you guys take to review and it really gives me more incentive to put out the chapters since you guys are liking it so far. I'll b updating this story every week with one or two chapters, so please look forward to it and continue to review and give feedback. Criticisms are welcome as well as ideas (though i can't say all will be used). Thanks again and enjoy. _

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**_Chapter 2: Life as I know it_**

Pain. It was the first thing that hit him. He hurt everywhere.

'_I thought when you died, you're not supposed to feel pain_,' he thought suddenly, struggling to open his eyes. Thankfully, they didn't feel heavy and he was able to open them easily.

He blinked at the sudden glare of brightness.

'_This doesn't look like heaven_,' he thought then taking in the white ceiling above him and the light green walls, '_It also doesn't look like hell. Where is this place_?'

His gaze returned to the ceiling and he found that instead of white, he was looking into a face- a very manly face, with glasses and a thick moustache.

"Aaah! What are you doing? You're too close," he screamed.

The man shifted and turned his head away.

"Tenchou, it seems he's awake now."

'_Tenchou_?' Was he at a store of some sort then?

The shouji opened and a light blonde haired man, his eyes hidden beneath the shadow of a green and white striped hat, came in. An open fan hid most of his face.

"Ah, so you've finally come around," he said in greeting as he came to sit next to him, shutting the fan with a snap as he did so. "We were beginning to despair a bit."

'_We_?'

A dark head popped up beside the shopkeeper, followed by a smaller blonde one. That girl…and Tetsuo…

Then, he wasn't dead?

"You're not dead," the blonde man answered as if reading his thoughts. "You're very alive…which is quite an interesting fact in itself."

"Where am I?" he asked then.

"Ah…where are my manners? This here is my little business Urahara Shoten and I'm the owner, Urahara Kisuke. That burly giant over there is my assistant Tessai-san. Those two kids behind him are my little helpers, Jinta and Ururu. You already know our little friend here, Riekie Tetsuo if I recall and you know this little lady here."

"Kuchiki Rukia," the girl introduced herself.

"You are?" Urahara prompted.

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Well, then, let's get to the point, Kurosaki-kun," Urahara started out, "You have some powers that I find very interesting."

"What are you talking about? Who _are_ you people?"

"Like I said already, I am a shinigami," the girl answered, "This is the shopkeeper…"

"Perhaps, you should explain more clearly," Urahara suggested. "The boy is obviously confused. He probably doesn't even know what a shinigami is."

"I was getting to that," the raven haired girl replied in annoyance.

"My bad," the shopkeeper conceded playfully.

The girl ignored him and started to explain. As he listened, he couldn't help but think they were kidding him. Surely, they couldn't seriously think he would believe such a tale? Did they take him for an idiot or something?

"Ok, so let me get this straight," he began as she ended, "You're a shinigami. You come from some place called Soul Society and you're here to exterminate evil spirits. Is that it?"

"Yes," the girl replied.

He waited all of a full second before he replied.

"What do you take me for? An idiot? Do you really expect me to believe such a lame tale?" he retorted as he struggled to sit up.

"Idiot…what are doing?"

"Getting out of here," he threw back, grabbing the tattered shirt and his sweater from the floor beside him.

"Are you stupid? You're injured."

He glanced down at his neatly bandaged abdomen.

"I'm alright," he returned, "I'm not going to stick around and listen to this bullshit though."

He stood, ignoring the sudden lightheadedness.

"Look," he added, "I'm grateful that you saved me but don't expect me to believe all of this nonsense."

"But…"

"Let him go," the shopkeeper said then, reaching out a hand to stop her.

She turned to him in confusion but he just shook his head.

The boy nodded his thanks and left without a backward glance.

"What are you thinking?" Rukia asked as soon as he was gone. "They are going to go after him. With such high spiritual pressure, they'll be sure to chase him."

"Don't worry about him," the shopkeeper returned, "He'll understand soon enough."

Puzzled by that comment, she said nothing else.

"In the meantime, Kuchiki-san, shall we talk about my payment?"

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"Tadaima."

"You'rrrrrrre late," was the response followed by a painful blow to his already aching body. "What kind of hour do you think this is, strolling in so casually, you delinquent son? Worrying your sister's…what kind of brother are you?"

"You…Is that anyway to greet your only son who almost died tonight?" he shouted back.

"Silence," the bearded man shouted back, "the rules of this house are iron clad. Dinner is every night at seven, the time when the harmony of the Kurosaki family is at its highest. You, useless son, have disrupted that harmony and to he who disrupts this household's iron harmony, only a punishment of blood can be rendered."

"What kind of stupid rule is that? I'm a healthy male in my last semester of high school…in what world is that kind of curfew respectable? Anyway, don't you think I've bled enough tonight? Or are you trying to kill me or something? Can't you see I'm already injured here?"

At this, he lifted the tattered bloody shirt.

"Onii-chan! Are you alright?" Yuzu, his youngest sister, the second of the set of twins asked.

"What happened to you?" Karin, the older of the twins asked.

"I was attacked when I was trying to help a little boy," Ichigo returned dropping the shirt in the garbage. It had been one of his favorites too. "Anyway, I'm tired. I'm just going to go to bed."

"But, Ichigo, you should let Otou-san look at you," Yuzu said then.

"Tch…why?" Ichigo asked, "I'm alright. I just need to get some rest."

"Look what you did!" Yuzu turned on her father, "It's your fault that he won't let you look at his wounds."

"Yeah. Nice going, Goat-chin," Karin added.

"Wh-What did I do?" the bewildered man cried.

"Ichigo's had a hard time lately with us suddenly moving here when he was about to graduate and all and you are still like this."

"What? He's been having difficulties? That kid, he never tells me stuff like this."

"Keh," Karin muttered turning away from him, "Even I wouldn't talk to a father over 40 who has the communication skills of a child."

"Oh, Kaa-san…Kaa-san. What evil have I done to deserve this?" the man bemoaned dramatically to a huge poster on the wall of a happily smiling woman with light brown hair, "It must be puberty as all the children have suddenly started acting so cold to their father. What should I do, Kaa-san?"

"You can start by taking down that ridiculous poster," Karin remarked.

The man started to cry and babble again so she blocked him out. Her eyes thoughtfully went to the stairs her brother had just disappeared up. Of all of them, he was probably having it the hardest having to come back to this town. _Ichi-nii_…

Two days passed without anything eventful happening and finally, it was Monday. They would be starting new schools today.

While Karin and Yuzu looked forward to it -Karin more so than Yuzu since she was hoping to find a few more girls who liked sports as much as she did- Ichigo dreaded it. They had left this place when he was only nine years old, after his mother died…he didn't remember anyone…except for Arisawa Tatsuki whom he had kept in touch with over the years and had even met up with since he'd returned. She was going to be in his class it seemed…but that was small comfort.

Without a doubt, his reputation must have preceded him. The teachers must have received some information about him during the transfer and no doubt, that had already made him stand out to them. It would only get worse once he arrived there…and so he was not looking forward to going.

Nevertheless, he was up and ready to go. He left out with his sisters, seeing them to their school since it was on his way, before heading off to his own.

Karakura High was exactly like he pictured it- High metal gates, grey dreary walls and kids who looked at him weird. He could already tell that he wasn't going to be very popular here either.

"What is with him and that bright orange hair?" he heard one girl whisper to another as he passed, "Does he think it makes him cool or something dying his hair like that?"

The scowl he always wore deepened.

"Hey, what's up with that new student? Why is he frowning like that?" another girl asked as he continued on, trying to locate the staff room.

Again, he tried to ignore them. After a few more comments, more or less, about the same things- his orange hair, his angry face, how he looked like a punk- he couldn't help feeling pissed. What was up with people judging him by his looks anyway?

"Ichigo!"

He turned at the familiar voice to see Tatsuki standing a few feet away. The girl smiled and started her way over to him.

"Who's that guy to Arisawa?" one boy asked as the girl approached him, "Does she know him or something?"

The girl continued towards him, oblivious of the looks she was getting or the comments.

"Yo," she greeted on reaching him, "You're early."

"I thought it'd be good to start with a good impression," Ichigo returned dryly.

"With the buzz you've stirred up, I think you can at least count it that your first impression has so far been memorable."

He shot a glare at her.

"Oi, don't get all mad," she returned, "Or I'll be too happy to tell these people how I know you."

He had the good grace to flush in embarrassment. Tatsuki almost laughed at this. He was still the same.

"Come," she said then, "I'll help you get to the staff room."

She led the way to the staffroom, trying to convince him all the way there to join the judo and karate clubs, both of which she was a member, one of which she was the captain. Once there though, she said her good byes and hurried off to class. He stared at her back for a moment before sighing and opening the door.

His meeting with the principal went pretty much the way he had anticipated- a stern warning about causing trouble and an emphasizing of the fact that had it not been for his good grades, he wouldn't have been accepted. He had to listen to a speech about good behavior for about five minutes and then he was introduced to the vice principal. His homeroom teacher was already at the class so he was sent off soon after to join them.

He sighed, exiting the staff room. Same old story…people always assumed the worst of him. Scratching the back of his head, he headed off for the room he had been directed to.

Class 3-A. It wasn't that hard to find but even after he had found it, he hesitated. This was it, he told himself, and this was where he would be spending the next couple of months before university. With a deep breath, opened the door.

It wasn't as bad as he had thought, he told himself four hours later as he lay on the roof, relaxing after eating lunch. He'd introduced himself without problems. His homeroom teacher wasn't stuck up…she was weird, but that was another story. The people in his class were suspicious and a little apprehensive of him but because Tatsuki was there, he felt it would be bearable. He sighed. Either way, he only had to bear it for a little while longer and then it would be over…at least until university started.

His mind drifted aimlessly over everything and nothing. Randomly, the face of the raven-haired girl…Rukia, popped into his head.

'_I wonder how she's doing_,' he thought then, '_Has she gone back to that Soul Society place? Probably some loony place anyway. I can't believe they expected me to accept such a bold and obviously unbelievable story_.'

The heavy doors opened and he opened his eyes as a large shadow fell over him. A group of six guys stood over him. Uninterested, he closed his eyes again. He already knew where this was going.

"Yo…Kurosaki, is it?"

"What's it to you?" he returned without even bothering to open his eyes.

"Hm…not even a day here and you're already acting so cocky, huh bastard? I think it's time to let you in on a few rules. First thing, the only one allowed to have this color hair is me, Ooshima-san. I don't want anyone copying me so you have to dye back your hair black or something, got me punk?"

Ichigo opened one eye and sat up. The big guy stared at him expectantly. Sighing, he scratched the back of his head before replying.

"I'm not going to say this too many times so you guys listen up. This is my natural color. I ain't copying you. Therefore instead of bugging me about my hair color, why don't you do something about your own?"

"Wh-wh-what?" Ooshima spluttered in anger, "How dare you? Who do you think you are…you little piece of shit?"

He moved to kick him, but without effort, Ichigo raised a hand and blocked it. He'd had too much practice with his father to get hit by such an attack.

"Tch…why don't you go and do something constructive, idiot? I don't have time to waste with you."

The big guy growled and launched a fist at him. Before he could catch it, another hand was there. Surprised he looked up to see a rather tall and muscularly built guy with dark skin and curly black hair hanging over one side of his face. He recognized him as one of the guys from his class.

"Y-Y-Yasutora," one of the six behind Ooshima stuttered.

Ooshima's face held a look of horror at that.

"Is he bothering you?"

Such a deep voice. He expected as much from such a big body.

"Not really," he replied.

"Oh," the newcomer stated before unconcernedly flicking the guy away. He landed with a heavy thud a few feet away, his cronies rushing over in alarm.

The newcomer was not paying the least bit of attention to any of this.

"Can I sit here?"

"Help yourself," he replied.

The guy sat and started to quietly eat his lunch. Ichigo spared him another glance and settled back down a little away from him. He still had another five minutes before the bell would ring.

And so ended the first half of his day. The next half was pretty much quiet.

As he walked home later, he thought it had been an okay day. It hadn't been horrible but it hadn't been that great either. The teachers here were the same as the ones at his old school- they all had decided to some extent to either avoid him totally or treat him like a delinquent. It irked him a bit since they didn't know him but he told himself he should be used to it by now.

"Tadaima," he announced tiredly as he stepped inside a while later.

The sound of silence greeted him. That was a shock. Normally the old man would be trying to get him right now, Yuzu would come to say hi or something but…now there was nothing. His eyes fell on an odd pair of shoes as he bent to untie his laces. A girl's definitely. They were very small and delicate looking slippers. Curious, he straightened after pulling off his shoes and listened keenly. Very dimly, he registered the sound of voices coming from the living room. He started towards it.

"And so, that why I sniff have no place to live…not even a thing to eat or money with which to try and take care of myself."

He paused at the doorway. There was something familiar about that voice, though it was hard to tell with that idiot old man bawling so loudly and Yuzu's sniffling.

"I really don't mean to be a bother sniff, sniff but since you are the town doctor, I just sniff thought that maybe you knew someone who could help sniff. It's starting to get cold and sniff I don't have a blanket to sleep outside…"

At that Yuzu's bawling rivaled the old man's.

"O-O-Otou-saan, please let her stay here," she cried grabbing her father tightly, "It's just too cruel."

True to his personality, his father didn't waste anytime thinking about it.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, Yuzu. Of course Otou-san will let her stay. To do anything more would be a crime…she has suffered so much already. Rest assured dear Rukia-chan, this is a place you may forever call home."

What was wrong with that idiot? Was he allowing some patient to stay here? Just where was he going to put them anyw…? Wait. Did he just say Rukia?

"Kaa-san! Kaa-san…"

While his father started reporting the addition of a third daughter to the huge poster, making so much noise with Yuzu crying as well, he made his entry. Without a word he went directly to stand before her, thanking his lucky stars Karin was absent from this cry fest right now when he realized it was indeed her. Seeing him, she gave a sweet smile. Annoyed, he grabbed her by the collar and pulled her up.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he hissed at her.

"Unhand me, idiot," she returned prying his hand loose and glaring at him, "What does it look like I'm doing? I have to find somewhere to stay since I spent all my money on getting _**someone**_ to stay alive."

His annoyance abated somewhat and a feeling of guilt niggled at him.

"What better place to seek it but from the one that caused this problem in the first place?" she continued.

"Ichi-nii, do you know her?" Karin asked suddenly from his left.

Belatedly he realized she must have entered the room and seen their interaction.

"Ah…no," Rukia answered for him, "We have never met. Your brother was just introducing himself to me."

"Hm," Karin returned not quite believing. She turned her eyes to her brother.

"Heh heh. Yes, we were just introducing ourselves," he agreed with a sheepish smile, wincing underneath at the death grip the girl had engulfed his hand in to get him to answer. "I hear she's going to be living with us so I thought I should at least welcome her here."

Seemingly satisfied, Karin strode away to pull the old man from hugging the poster and bawling so loudly.

"Was that acceptance of my stay here?" she enquired sweetly, her tone causing him to blink.

"Keh. Oyaji's an idiot but since I live here too, I guess I'll just have to accept whatever he says as well. Just don't go around trying to spew that nonsense about you being a shinigami to them…they'll likely believe that crap…except Karin. She's a realist. Anyway, I guess I also owe you for saving my life and I'm not trash that I can happily live without repaying my debts."

"How can you believe in ghosts and not shinigamis?" she asked then.

"I can see ghosts," he returned, "But I've never seen a shinigami so why should I believe what I can't see? By the way, how can they see you anyway?"

"Oh, I'm wearing a gigai."

"A what?"

"A gigai. It's a faux body we shinigamis use while we are in the real world."

Ichigo mentally sighed at her obvious delusional state. His father had added to the amount of crazy people living here without even knowing it.

"I'm sure it is," he returned picking up his bag again and throwing it over his shoulder, "Like I said though, stop spewing that bull."

Without another word, he headed up to his room, feeling more exhausted than he had when he had just come in. He could already tell, his somewhat normal abnormal life had just changed- for better or worse he couldn't tell yet.

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It was tilting more and more to the latter and not the former he decided the next day. Not only had his father tried to attack him in his sleep this morning, he couldn't find the manga he had been wanting to finish reading during the break today, and he couldn't seem to get his closet door open to get his uniform out. At this rate, he was going to be late and that would just make him go down even further in the eyes of those teachers.

'_Damn it_,' he thought frowning at the stubborn door. He had a good mind to just kick it in but he was sure his father wouldn't approve of that.

He glared at the door and grasped the handle. '_One last time_,' he decided, after that, he was going to break it down. His father would just have to understand.

He started to pull at it. Just as he was getting ready to increase the strength he was using, the door opened easily from the inside, causing him to lose his balance and fall flat on his boxer covered derriere. Following the thud, a dark head peered out, the hand on the door holding none other than the manga he had been looking for.

"Ah…it's you."

A tick of annoyance beat at his temples.

"What are you doing in my closet and why do you have my manga?" he asked as she stared at him innocently.

"What are you so mad over?" she returned stepping out. "Your sisters were quite noisy last night so I wanted to find somewhere quiet to sleep. I found this little place and since it's quiet and comfortable, I fell asleep. As for your book, I got up early, was bored and it was right there."

She said it so flippantly, as if it really wasn't anything that he felt just a tad more annoyed.

"First thing," he began, "You can't just decide these things on your own, coming into a guy's room, sleeping in his closet without permission and just taking someone's stuff. Do you even know what people would say…Oyaji, Yuzu and even Karin if they saw you sleeping in here…or just coming from the room?"

"What would they say?" she returned straightening out her clothes, "You are a child compared to me…I'm at least ten times your age, kiddo."

She might very well be but to see someone looking like his age, so much tinier than him, addressing him as such, he completely lost it.

"You…just get out…and don't come back," he told her, grabbing his book and pushing her out of the room, "You are not allowed in here and if you want something, ask. I don't care how old you are either...you can't just barge in and take my stuff."

So saying, he pushed her through the door and closed it.

"Idiot," she called through the door, "we still have to go to school and I don't have any books yet so you'll still have to share."

Belatedly he realized that she had been wearing the uniform of his school. When had his father arranged this?

With a sigh, he sat heavily on the bed. With her living here, going to the same school, he didn't doubt it- life as he knew it was over- gone- kaput.

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**_Next week: Chapter 3- A strange encounter. Enter Orihime into the plot. Look forward to it!_**


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: **_ Just to answer a few questions…this is an AU fic but will contain spoilers for several Bleach chapters. I will give these chapters as the story goes along but be warned, they may not be in the original context.

I just want to also thank everyone for reading and hope you're enjoying the fic. Thanks to those who have reviewed and to those who haven't, please just send me a line to know how you think it's going so far, on the writing and characterization and such- doesn't have to be long, a one liner will do. I really appreciate all the feedback I can get as it really helps to make the chapters better.

**Anywhoo…On to Ichi meets Hime!!!!!!!**

_**Chapter 3: A strange encounter**_

It was strange. This was the beginning of his second week at school and that desk was still empty. He wondered what it meant. No one said anything about it and even acted like it wasn't there but it bugged him. Why was it empty? If it didn't belong to anyone, why didn't they remove it?

"What are you staring at?" Rukia asked from next to him.

He frowned a little. He hadn't noticed her taking her seat, incidentally enough, which had turned out to be the one next to him.

"Isn't it strange?" he said then, "That desk. It's been empty since the first day but no one has moved it and every one just acts as if it isn't there."

"Then just ignore it too."

He glared at her.

"Ichigo, are you going to stop by the judo club later?"

He turned to see Tatsuki on his left.

"Um," he began.

"Hey, Arisawa-san," Rukia interrupted in that sweetly innocent tone she adopted while at school, "I was just wondering, why is that desk still empty? It's been empty since I came. Is the person ill?"

Ichigo shot her a grateful look. Sometimes she could be quite nice. She'd just saved him right there.

"Oh," Tatsuki returned staring at the desk, "That's Orihime's seat."

"Orihime?" Rukia questioned.

"Hai," a strawberry blonde answered dreamily, "The goddess of love herself, Inoue Orihime. Ah…I get so hot just thinking about her nice, soft bre…."

She didn't get to finish as the next instant, she was face first in her desk, her head held there by a fuming Tatsuki.

"I'm not going to keep saying it, you crazed lesbian slut. Leave Orihime out of your impure and insanely kinky fantasies…and keep your lecherous hands away from her."

Ichigo and Rukia watched the exchange with comical expressions, unsure of what to make out of it.

Tatsuki released the girl and she lifted her head, bloodied nose and all, with a smile.

"As quick as always Arisawa," she praised, her voice slightly nasal from the injury, "but even that won't keep me away from Hime. How can I stay away when she gives me such wonderful orga…?"

Blam! Her head slammed into the desk again.

Ichigo was sure this time she had either broken her nose or lost consciousness.

"Are you sure she's alright?" he asked when Tatsuki let go and the girl didn't stir.

"Trust me, she's fine," Tatsuki returned, "That girl has a tough head. It would take a lot more to kill her. I've tried."

He sweat dropped, staring from Tatsuki to the girl lying in a small pool of blood running from her nose.

"Ah yes, you were asking about Orihime. That's her desk. She's not sick…well not really. She's been absent for two weeks and will probably return on Wednesday. She fell down the stairs and had a mild concussion. Don't be alarmed- happens most of the time. That girl is as accident prone as they come. It's the usual so people don't really think anything of it or her absence. They just figure its one thing or the other."

"Accident prone?" Ichigo echoed, visions of a completely clumsy girl walking into everything and falling over every minute flashing in his head.

"You'll understand when you meet her," Tatsuki replied by way of explaining. "By the way," she added as the bell sounded, "Kuchiki-san, can you please call me by my first name? I hate when people call me Arisawa-san. I feel like they're calling my mother. Tatsuki, Tatsuki-chan or just Arisawa is fine."

"Oh," Rukia returned happily, "I'd like that. Then please, call me Rukia."

Tatsuki nodded and smiled before hurrying off to her seat.

"Seems like you're becoming rather popular," Ichigo commented.

Ever since she'd started the boys had gone crazy over her and the girls had fawned over her petite size, small frame and prettiness like a porcelain doll. Added to that, she'd totally convinced them with that sickeningly sweet act of hers, that she was the nicest person around, very gentle and kind- but he knew she was anything but. He had some bruises from her many hits to his head to prove it.

Rukia glared at him.

"Don't hate me because no one likes a stupid, frowning faced idiot."

He bit back his retort as the teacher took her stand at the front of the class. He would reply to that later.

Or maybe not, he thought later watching his family, her included go crazy over the stupid 'Buah hah ha' show with the even crazier, fashion retarded idiot Don Kanonji later that evening.

"I'm going to the store," he declared after ten minutes of watching them.

"Huh? You're going out this late to the store?" his father took enough time away from the show to inquire, "Why?...wait. Could it be some late evening romantic interlude…?"

"Is that all you think about?" Ichigo queried.

"Why not?" his father returned, "I am a man…I can't say the same for you- my only male child that has never brought home a girl and is probably still a vir…"

"Shut up and leave me alone," Ichigo cut in, his cheeks red with embarrassment. "Not everybody thinks about that stuff all the time like you do."

"He didn't challenge the virgin part," Karin commented to Yuzu, having started to actively pay attention to the conversation.

The blush became even darker at that.

"What I am or am not is of no concern to any of you," he retorted before stating more calmly, "I'm going,…and don't talk about me behind my back."

He hadn't even stepped out the door when he heard his father loudly exclaim, "Can you believe it Rukia-chan? That boy is already eighteen and has never brought home a girl. Do you think I should take him to a doctor? He could be ga…I can't even say it. It's too awful. What should I do Rukia-chan? Kaa-san…Kaa-san, my nightmare…It's going to be a reality."

Ichigo sighed. His father would never change. Hopefully Rukia wouldn't be drawn into his antics.

"Oh, don't worry Oji-san," he heard her say just then, "He's not gay…at least that's what those books under his mattress say."

A hole should just open and swallow him up, he thought then before- What the hell was she doing under his mattress anyway? Hadn't he told her not to go in his room?

"Ah, is that so?" Isshin asked, his tone much too enthusiastic for his liking, "Big chests…little chests…what is he into?"

"Oi. Oi," he shouted coming back into the room, "Do you hear yourselves? What are you guys doing in front of Karin and Yuzu?"

"Ah…it doesn't bother us, Onii-chan," Yuzu replied then, "Besides, I've known about Onii-chan's magazines since we moved here. I saw them when I was cleaning the room."

"Wh-what?" he spluttered, "And didn't I tell you to leave my room?"

"Well I would," Yuzu returned willfully, "If Onii-chan would actually clean up properly once in a while."

"It's true," Karin added, "If you wanted to keep your things private, you should clean up more. Then she won't have an excuse to come in there. By the way, haven't you ever heard of a lock?"

He vowed then to clean up as soon as he was back and to pick up a lock on his trip to the store.

"I don't know why I bother," he responded then and left.

As he walked on the road, he thought to himself that his night couldn't really get much worse.

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"Oyasumi nasai, Tenka-san."

The grey haired old man smiled, showing off the wide space where his upper front teeth used to be, his face wrinkling heavily.

"Oyasumi, Hime-chan," he returned happily, "Thanks for your help today, though you didn't have to come in since you should still be recuperating."

"Oh, I'm all good," the girl replied.

"Well that's good," Tenka-san returned, "I guess I'll see you next week again."

"Hai," she responded with a bright smile, "I'll be back for sure next week. Onii-chan's birthday is coming up and I want to get him a big bouquet this time."

"Is it now?" Tenka-san asked, "Well then, when it comes tell me. I'll have something for you to give him as well."

"Arigatou, Tenka-san…demo…um…you don't have to do that…"

"Heh heh, I want to," the old man returned, "I want to give him something for having such a helpful and cute little sister."

She blushed a little.

"Anyway, you should hurry," the old man continued glancing outside, "It's gotten late."

"Ah," she exclaimed following his gaze, "It's gotten so dark. Ja ne, Tenka-san."

With that she grabbed her bags, gave the old man a bow and hurried out the store. The old man watched her until she had safely crossed the street before turning his gaze back inside. It was late so he should also be getting ready to close up.

"Ah, Orihime-chan left already?"

He turned at his wife's voice.

"It was getting late," he replied in answer.

"And you let her? Ah mou, foolish husband! You should have called her a taxi. It's dangerous for a girl like Orihime-chan, especially as late as it is, to be out on her own. And she's been such a big help, helping out with Akira as well."

"I think she'll be okay," the old man returned.

"She'd better be, you miser," his wife returned, "Kami help you if there is a scratch on that child."

The old man stared out the window at that but she was already out of sight. She'll be alright, he told himself. She only lives fifteen minutes away...

At that moment said girl was humming happily to herself, swinging the bags she had to and fro in melody with her song.

"Hm, I wonder what I should eat tonight," she said to herself, suddenly breaking from her humming. "Last night's peanut butter, pickles and sweet bean paste sandwiches were delicious but I think I should try something else tonight. I wonder, what's at home? I can't use this as its lunch for school. Hm, what shall I make?"

She put a finger to her lips, in thought, the motion of the bags on pause as she continued onward. Well, from memory, she recalled that there was just a little bread left, some bean paste, fruit and jelly- '_Ah_,' she thought in sudden panic, '_I nearly forgot I have to restock._' With a slight laugh at her near forgetfulness, she detoured and hurried to the nearest convenience store.

Ten minutes later, she re-emerged, two bags heavier but happier. There had been a sale on ripe bananas and honey and with the bread she had at home, it would be perfect. Now she couldn't wait to get home and eat. So wrapped up was she in anticipation of her food, she didn't notice the five guys hanging out outside the store until it was too late.

"Oi, missy. Why don't you come hang with us for a bit?"

She started, suddenly surprised to find a face only a few inches away from her. Instinctively, she started to back away only to run into a hard, warm body behind her.

"Where are you going, pretty lady?" the voice behind her asked, "It's not polite to walk away when someone's talking to you and I think Sajimi-san just asked you a question."

"Gomen," she returned, her voice calm though her heart was beating like a wild thing in her chest, "I can't."

"Haha," Sajimi laughed coming closer, "Little lady, I think you've misunderstood. It's not really a question- You are coming with us."

"But…I don't want to go."

"She doesn't get it, Sajimi," another voice spoke up.

"Just take her then," Sajimi returned, "She'll understand soon enough. She looks like she'll be fun too. See that rack?"

Orihime felt her blood chill. She'd seen these things on TV. The girl gets kidnapped, the kidnappers take her to a dark place, then something eats them, and the space ship lands and ….

Her thoughts broke as a rough hand grabbed hers and started pulling her. One of the bags fell after a few feet as she struggled, spilling the collection of manga she'd just borrowed to read.

"Ch-chotto matte," she cried, wringing her hands to get them free, "My manga…"

"Keh, who cares about your stupid manga?" the second guy returned.

"You do," a voice interrupted, "which is why you will pick them up and return them."

"Who the hell are you?"

Orihime's eyes widened as a youth with bright orange hair stepped out into the light. For a moment she felt like she was hallucinating. It was him. It was the guy with the funny face. Everyday since last Friday she had seen him- on his way to school as she hurried in the mornings down to Tenka-san's, and on the week-end when she passed the park, he had been hanging out with two younger girls. She almost laughed at the familiar scowl, now deepened on his face. He always did have the funniest expressions.

For his part, Ichigo couldn't hide his annoyance. There were few things that he hated with a passion in life and this was one of them. He would never understand or forgive men who couldn't take no for an answer. The girl was lucky he was coming out of that store at that time or she would have been in deep trouble.

In the low light she now stood in, it was hard to see her face but he had no doubt that she must be scared as hell. His scowl tightened as a picture of Yuzu flashed in his mind. It was she who he worried such things would happen to since Karin was not the type people would mess with and he felt his frown deepen.

He really disliked scum like these guys- especially the type that would even try something like this with his sister- and he had no doubt these guys fit that category by their actions just now.

"It doesn't matter," he returned in reply now, "What matters is that a bunch of lowlife punks like you were intending to harass someone who clearly wasn't into you."

"Teme, keep out of this and you'll live. Just walk on like you didn't see anything and we'll let you go unharmed."

"Like I could do that," Ichigo returned. "Instead of talking like that, it would be better if you guys got out of here before something happens."

"Aren't you underestimating us, bastard?" Sajimi growled menacingly, "You just suddenly appear and want us to get out of here? What do you take us for? Do you wanna die or something ya young punk?"

The youth scratched the back of his head in a manner indicating boredom before fixing his eyes on them again.

"It's you who doesn't understand," he stated.

"Why you…," one of them started as he ran out, pulling out a knife and heading for him.

"Ah, watch out," Orihime cried.

She needn't have bothered. The youth sidestepped him easily, slamming the side of his hand hard into the back of the guy's skull as he passed him and sending him reeling to the ground.

"T-Toshi-kun! Teme, now you've gone and done it," the second one began as he stepped forward. He started wrapping the metal chain he'd been playing with around his knuckles. "Bastard, how dare you hit my brother?" he screamed as he headed for the youth. "I'll definitely ki…"

He ran into the youth's foot and sank to the ground, the chain forgotten as he grabbed his bleeding nose.

"Wh-wha…?" Orihime heard the one of the other guys mumbling, "This is bad. That guy is really dangerous. If we try to attack him, we'll be killed for sure."

"Hm," the other one agreed quietly.

"Shut the fuck up, you fucking cowards," Sajimi shouted at them, "He's just a young punk with no guts. What the hell are you afraid of? He's no…"

Ichigo stared as the guy's eyes suddenly turned up in his head and he sank to the ground, revealing the young female from before, who now had her head down replacing a rolling pin in one of her bags. He felt his mouth open a little at that. Why was she carrying a rolling pin? And just what had she done to that big guy?

"Are you hurt?" she cried, finishing her task and starting towards him, the other two forgotten.

"H-hey, come back," one of remaining two called and grabbed at her arm.

In a smooth karate move, the girl stopped and, using his own weight as momentum, flipped him unto his back with a heavy thud, knocking the wind out of him, before continuing, like nothing had happened, towards him.

"Yukio! Dammit," the other one said before running off.

"Gomen," she apologized on reaching him, "Are you hurt?"

He closed his mouth with a small snap. Who was this girl? She'd just flipped over a guy that easily was twice her weight and quite a bit taller like it was nothing!

A finger snapped in front of his face and he blinked, finding himself looking down into clear brown eyes and a concerned face.

"Eto…um…are you alright?" she asked again, before adding, "I hope you are. I would feel so bad if you got injured because of me. I wasn't paying attention you see and that's what caused all this mess. My friend always tells me I should be more careful and not zone out when I'm on the road like this but…"

She paused suddenly, putting down her bags and straightening back up before reaching up and running her hands down his arms, from his shoulders down, lifting up his wrists to examine his fingers.

Her actions were unexpected and shocked him so much he wasn't able to say a word…that is until he felt her small hands flatten against his chest and slide down. Did she realize what she was doing!?

"Wh-what are you doing?" he spluttered, jumping away from her.

She stared at him innocently.

"You didn't answer so I thought you were in shock and was just checking for injuries," she returned before her face got worried and concerned, "Did I hurt you?"

"Eh?…Iie," he returned, "It's…It's just that you were suddenly touching me…"

He broke of as realization seemed to dawn on her of just what she had been doing and she blushed fiercely, the color running all the way to her hair.

"A…um…um…I…I…"

Something started beeping and she stopped stuttering to look at her watch.

"Ah. It's this late!" she exclaimed and started to collect her spilled mangas and pick up her bags again, "I'm going to be late. The re-run of laugh hour is going to be on soon."

He stared in disbelief. She was running off to watch some idiotic comedy show!?

"Um…Arigatou Super-hero-san," she said suddenly turning back around to him with a bow, "You really saved me but I have to run now. I can't miss laugh hour. Ja!."

She straightened and started off in a run, turning back only once to give him a little wave.

'_Super-hero-san!?_ _What the hell?_' he thought with a frown as she ran off. '_Who was that girl anyway?_'

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"And she just ran away like that?"

"Yeah."

"That's strange. I've only been here a few months and I've never heard of or seen such a thing but it makes me wonder if that's the way human girls usually behave."

"I doubt it," Ichigo answered back as he and Rukia walked to school the next day, "I think it's just her that's really weird."

Rukia eyed him skeptically before turning back to face the road.

"I guess that explains that strange look on your face when you returned last night," she added then.

He glanced down at her quickly and then back at the road.

"Who wouldn't look like that after going through that," he returned.

"I see your point," she answered back as they stepped through the gates.

"By the way," she added as they walked the corridors to the class, "I was wondering…could you come by that store later today with me? I want to check something out."

He paused to stare at her, his eyes narrowing.

"It's not anything to be like that over," she returned, "It's just…You are nothing I've ever seen or been aware of, Ichigo. Just being around you blocks off my senses. I'm getting used to it now and it isn't that bad…but …you even broke out of that demon arts restraint I used on you the other night…"

"That wasn't funny," he stated as she paused, "I wasn't finished with that manga. You could have just waited rather than use those tricks."

"Why should I wait on a loser like you?" she returned, "You should just learn to read faster."

He sighed. There were times when she could be really nice and then…there were also the times like this. He sighed mentally and reached for the door.

"But it's true," a female voice was saying as his hand was millimeters away from the door, "There really was a super-hero. He came out of the dark and just took out those guys like nothing…"

"Orihime," he heard Tatsuki say placatingly, "You really should lay off the strange midnight snacks. It's making you have weird dreams."

"But Tatsuki-chan…"

At that point, he opened the door and stepped inside after Rukia. He heard an audible gasp and shifted his gaze to it.

Clear brown eyes met his and widened in recognition.

"It's you," they both said in unison- him in disbelief, her in total happiness and surprise.

"See Tatsuki-chan," the girl added, "I wasn't lying…that's the hero who saved me."

Tatsuki stared at the finger and then at whom the finger was pointing at before speaking.

"Ichigo!?" she queried incredulously as the bell started to ring.

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	4. Chapter 4

**A/n:** Wow! There were a lot of comments on Chapter 3. Thanks a bunch guys. I love the fact that you're all enjoying the story so much. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Thanks also for taking the time to review and letting me know that you are reading and enjoying it.

To answer some of the questions: Yes, Ichigo is still going to be a shinigami. All the characters will have the same abilities they do in the manga…it just may not 'arrive' in the same way…lol. Look forward to it though. I promise it will be interesting…

Now on to chapter 4

_**Chapter 4: Troubles a-brewing**_

_Kurosaki Ichigo, ka? Kurosaki-kun…_

She sighed. She should really have asked for his name last night and thanked him properly. It had been the right thing to do as Tatsuki had pointed out at lunch. Just a few more minutes would not have mattered since she had arrived home with a few minutes to spare before laugh hour came on anyway.

She sighed again and stared unseeingly at the words on the page in front of her, the teacher's voice fading into the background. She really didn't want him to think she was ungrateful by running away like that and Ryo-chan did say her running away could make it seem like she was…but she wasn't. She was indeed grateful- a gazillion, fillion times grateful- but she had to concede her behavior had not exactly shown that.

How could she fix this?

A slight breeze from the open window unhitched a tendril of hair into her face and as she raised her hand to tuck behind her ears again, something on the page caught her eyes.

"That's it!" she exclaimed aloud, only to clap her hand over her mouth when all eyes suddenly turned to her.

"_**What is it**_?" Fujiwara-sensei asked pointedly, his eyes narrowed at her over the rim of his glasses.

"Eh…nothing," she replied quickly, dropping her hand to her lap, "nothing at all. Gomen…"

"Well since you like daydreaming so much in my class, Inoue Orihime, the next problem is yours."

Orihime looked up at the un-worked question on the board and could have cried in relief when she saw that it was one of the problems she had been looking over this weekend. She got up and hurried to the board, nearly tripping, much to the class's amusement, in her haste.

Returning to her seat, problem solved, she determined not to zone out again for the rest of the class. Fujiwara-sensei was not nice when people didn't give him a hundred percent of their attention and she didn't want another lecture about the benefits of paying attention…

The class ended and people started rushing off to get home or to club activities. She wasn't really a member of any club except the handicraft club that met on Wednesdays but like most days, she was staying back today to cheer Tatsuki on during practice. She might even join in to get some exercise before she went home.

As she stuffed the last of her books into the book bag, she glanced out the window. Below her, the bright orange head of Kurosaki-kun popped out, walking along side Kuchiki-san. Her attention focused on the two.

Kuchiki-san seemed to be saying something to Kurosaki-kun that he didn't want to hear as he had a more screwed up face than usual and was vehemently shaking his head. Her lips quirked up at their own volition at his expression. Kurosaki-kun really did have the best expressions...

"Ready?" Tatuski asked coming over to her.

Her attention refocused inside as she hurriedly zipped up the bag and put it over her shoulder.

"Hai."

"Good, then let's go. Those guys will slack off as long as I'm not there and I plan to make them go home crying today."

_On second thought_, she backtracked at that, _I may just cheer today_. Tatsuki-chan had that light in her eye that usually meant trouble for the judo team.

Before she left, her eyes drifted outside again. They weren't there anymore. She gave a little sigh and started after Tatsuki-chan. It would have been nice to see what other expression Kurosaki-kun would have showed…

At that moment, said face was scowling harder than usual.

"I don't get it," Ichigo was saying, "Those…tests that you guys did, you sent them to that Soul Society place?"

"Yeah," Rukia answered, "It was too unbelievable what Urahara was saying so I sent it to my Taichou. He's really knowledgeable and…"

"Look," Ichigo cut in, "I didn't mind with all the tests and stuff since you kept going on about how I was blocking your senses…but I really don't want too much people prying into my life."

"I understand," Rukia conceded, "but I'm not just doing this for my benefit. You have a huge amount of spiritual pressure, Ichigo, and your inability to restrain your spiritual power is troublesome. It's just leaking out, thick and dense and affecting every single spirit around you. I hate to say it, Ichigo, but I'm more than a little worried that hollows will start to come after you and that your family and even your friends could get caught up in it. That's why I sent off the information. I need to know exactly what we are dealing with you and what we can do about it."

He accepted her explanation in silence, absorbing her words carefully. There was nothing he could say. He couldn't feel his own spiritual pressure so he had no idea what it felt like, how much it was or how to turn it down…but he didn't want to cause problems for anyone.

"So what do we do now?" he asked as they crossed the street to the clinic.

"All we can do for now is wait," the girl replied.

_Wait_…he didn't really like the sound of that, he thought as they entered the clinic.

Unbeknownst to them, blue eyes watched the two from the building across the street.

"Kurosaki Ichigo…as dense as they come."

Those blue eyes recommenced their watch the next day as well, watching the orange-haired boy as he came into the school, the dark-haired girl at his side. A frown marred his forehead watching them and as they entered the building, he turned away and headed from the roof.

After he had gone in, the raven-haired girl doubled back and stared up at the very spot he had been in only moments before.

"Hey, we're going to be late if you don't stop backtracking," Ichigo's annoyed voice stated.

The girl ignored him, mumbling to herself, "I could have sworn it felt like someone was watching us."

After another moment, she shook her head and went back inside.

When they got into class, she had that feeling again but by the time she tried to pinpoint where it was coming from, it was gone. A feeling of apprehension washed over her. She was getting a bad vibe from all of this…She eyed the orange-haired boy, wondering if he was feeling it too. He was too busy talking to Sado-kun. The two had hit it off after some confrontation with another third year it seemed and they had become fast friends. Sado had even become a permanent fixture at lunch now.

Seeing she wasn't going to get any help from him, she took her attention away and settled to get the necessary books out for class.

"Ohayo Ku…Rukia-chan!"

She raised her head at the chirpy voice, blinking slightly at the bright smile before smiling herself and returning the greeting.

"Ohayo Orihime."

"Sup," Tatsuki greeted from behind Orihime.

"Ohayo, Tatsuki-chan," Rukia returned, reminding herself to use the girl's first rather than last name as she had requested.

"Ohayo Kurosaki-kun!"

Ichigo turned from his conversation with Sado at the greeting, noting the bright smile that went with the happy greeting.

"Ohayo, Inoue."

"Ohayo, Sado-kun!"

"Ohayo."

_Was she always the cheery?_ The question popped in his head as she moved off to continue her enthusiastic greetings. His eyes lingered, unknown to him, on her.

"She's nice," Rukia whispered leaning slightly closer to him.

"Yeah, unlike **some** people," he returned stressing the some, his forehead furrowing into a deeper frown.

Rukia stuck her tongue out at him.

"Real mature comeback, Kuchiki," he retorted, rolling his eyes before settling in as the bell rang.

Orihime watched the exchange ruefully, fingering a prettily wrapped box under her desk. It was her thank you gift for Kurosaki-kun.

She had really meant to give it to him first thing this morning but seeing him with Kuchiki…no, Rukia-chan (sometimes she kept forgetting that the girl had asked her to call her Rukia instead of her family name- last time she did, the girl had flicked her forehead and she had endeavored to remember it next time) and Sado-kun, she had just lost her nerve.

She sighed. She really was such a big coward. It was only a thank you gift…why then did she feel so unexplainably nervous?

"All right settle down class."

The teacher's voice brought her from her reverie and she let go of the box to open her text. _Later_, she decided, _I'll give it to him later._

Later turned out to be even harder than this morning, however. She didn't just have Rukia and Sado to deal with but Michiru, Ryo and Tatsuki as well at the lunch break. As a result, the box was still within her possession even as the lunch break ended. Unable to work up the nerve, she could only watch as he stood and started to hurry off along with the others to the next class.

"You coming or daydreaming?" Tatsuki enquired from beside her.

"Coming," she answered pushing the gift box further into her bag before closing it and rising, "Let's go."

The next class was Chemistry. Kurosaki-kun was also in this chemistry class but she didn't get an opportunity there either. There were too many people present and she was sure that if she made an attempt to give it to him there, it would cause a misunderstanding.

She was beginning to feel like a total coward though when school was nearly done for the day and the gift was still in her possession. Though she had seen Kurosaki-kun so many times today, she still hadn't been able to give it to him. The gods must have liked her though as she got her best opportunity yet after the bell rang.

She was going off to her after school club activities in the handicraft club room when he suddenly rounded the corner, by himself. This was her chance.

"Ku-ku…"

The words stuck in her throat, coming out in a tiny whisper she doubted that he even heard.

"Inoue? What are you still doing here?"

She almost started at the question.

"Heh-eh," she gave a nervous laugh, "I have club activities today."

"Club activities?"

"Yeah," she answered, "I'm a member of the handicraft club. Is Kurosaki-kun a member of any clubs?"

He scratched the back of his head, looking at the wall next to her head.

"Iie…I can't do club activities."

"Eh? Really?"

"I have to go home and help my Dad out at the clinic," he explained.

"Oh…"

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then," he began settling his bag over his shoulder more comfortably, "Take care."

"Um…wait, Kurosaki-kun," she spoke up as he was getting ready to move away, "um…here."

Ichigo stared at the gaily colored box suddenly thrust out at him and then at the bowed head in confusion.

"A gift? For me?"

The girl nodded.

"It's to thank you for the other night…please accept it."

Orihime closed her eyes. He wasn't going to take it…She just felt it.

Her eyes shot open as the box was lifted from her outstretched hands.

"Thanks, Inoue."

A small smile hovered at his lips.

"It wasn't necessary but thanks anyway."

"No, no," she disagreed adamantly, shaking her head so hard she got a bit dizzy, "It was. Kurosaki-kun didn't have to intervene but he did and if it wasn't for Kurosaki-kun the aliens would have sucked out their brain fluids, made off in the space ship and then I would have been put in a psychiatric ward because no one believed me."

_Huh?_

"I guess, I'm just trying to say thank you," she finished lamely, not looking at him but rather at the ground.

"Alright then," he conceded, "I'll accept it."

She shot him a grateful smile and he felt a rush of warmth run through him at the grateful expression.

"I'll be going then. Ja."

"Aa. See you tomorrow," he returned, watching her rush off before staring thoughtfully at the package in his hand.

_Inoue Orihime…she was a strange girl…_

He started to walk again, his eyes still on the package in his hand. He'd taken no more than two steps when he bumped into something and, surprised, the box fell from his hand.

"Sumanen," he began bending to pick up the box, hoping dearly that it wasn't something to break, "I wasn't paying attention."

"Are you ever?"

The tone and the question caused him to straighten up quickly. Icy blue eyes stared back at him.

"Stay away from her," the dark-haired boy warned him now, "You are nothing but trouble, the last thing Inoue-san needs."

Before he could utter a reply the boy had pushed up his glasses, walked past him and was gone.

His face changed to a deep scowl. W_hat the hell was his problem? Why was he warning him to stay away from Inoue? What was he to her? Why did he even feel the need to do that?_

The questions bombarded him and the more he thought about it, the more it annoyed him. He hadn't done anything to that boy, or Inoue. He didn't even know this guy and he sure as hell didn't know him, so who was he to judge him as trouble? And what did he know about Inoue? He had made it sound like he knew her quite well and was close to her…yet he'd never even seen him around before.

The annoyance grew. That guy seemed to have a problem with him- what he didn't know. He'd never met him so he couldn't have done anything to him… so what was his problem?

It was no surprise then he was in a bad mood when he arrived home. Not even his father attacking him as soon as he entered could take his mind off that boy and what he had said. That probably made his retaliation to his father harsher than before, kicking him straight into the kitchen table without stopping to comment.

He barely responded to Karin and Yuzu's greetings, stopping on his way up to his room only to pass on Rukia's message that she would be home later. He totally ignored his father's exaggerated crying to Yuzu about how hard he had hit him and took the stairs two at a time, slamming the door behind him resoundingly.

"What's the matter with Onii-chan?" Yuzu asked, eyes towards the upstairs at the slamming of the door.

"Who knows?" Karin returned.

"Hey…why aren't you girls worried over Daddy too?" Isshin called alone in the background, "Look, Daddy's bleeding."

"You're a doctor," Karin responded dryly, not batting a lash at his attempt for attention, "Go take care of it yourself."

Upstairs, Ichigo, not even bothering to take off his uniform, slumped into bed, headphones blaring hard rock music into his ear.

Truly he couldn't quite explain why this was pissing him off so much. People always said things like that or thought it at least because of his hair and his penchant for getting into fights. Still, what that guy had said…maybe it was the way he said it…or the way he looked as he said it- those cold eyes, so quick to judge him, how they looked at him as if they knew everything about him just by appearances when he didn't…whatever it was, it was just rubbing him the wrong way. That guy was rubbing him the wrong way.

He turned to his side as if to turn away from his thoughts. But they wouldn't let him be free.

All his life people had thought so many things about him, said so many things about him…even the kids at school. They'd call him names, weirdo- so many things when he was younger because he couldn't understand…couldn't make the difference out between the living people and the dead ones. He'd ended up talking to people others couldn't see and it had gotten so bad that at one point his school had asked his mother to seek psychiatric help for him.

He clearly remembered his mother's gentle smile as she ruffled his hair, looked back at the teacher and principal with eyes that would have made his father proud and said, "My son is special. It's a shame that you people cannot appreciate that. Because he is different from the rest of children you think it makes him strange, label him weird…what kind of teachers are you!? Well it doesn't matter. From today onwards, Ichi will not be attending school here."

She had taken him and left, the teachers spluttering, unable to form coherent replies to the words of whom they had perceived to be a sweet young woman and he had never gone back. She had hugged him tight when they got outside and despite her smile, he could see the unshed tears in her eyes.

"Don't ever, ever let anyone make you think less of yourself, "she had told him, "You **are** different, Ichigo…but different for a reason. Never forget that."

He had never forgotten. Not even when they had called him a murderer…

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"Tadaima."

"Okari, Rukia-neechan," Yuzu greeted as the dark-haired girl entered the dining room.

"Hey," Karin greeted.

Rukia glanced around quickly, taking note of just the two girls sitting at the table. The clinic had the closed sign up but she couldn't hear Ojisan anywhere and where was Ichigo? She could feel he was home but where…

"Where's everyone?" she asked then.

"Ichi-nii came home in a bad mood," Yuzu started in answer, "He's in his room. He isn't answering his door either and Oyaji said he had to go out to check on a patient but that he'd be back for dinner."

"Oh," the dark-haired girl replied to the information before her amethyst eyes drifted up the stairs.

Whatever had happened to make Ichigo so upset, it was affecting his reiatsu. It was fluctuating wildly, and felt heavier and denser than usual. There was something strange in the feeling it was giving off…she shivered slightly. Whichever way, she needed to talk to him and get it toned down. That kind of pressure was sure to attract hollows and putting his family at risk was definitely something he wouldn't want to do.

"I'm going to see what's wrong," she said now, "See you guys at dinner."

She started up the stairs and a few seconds later, Yuzu left to pick up the dry linens. Five minutes later, she returned with something else.

"Do you think Oyaji's really gone to see a patient?" she asked.

Karin spared her glance from her sports manga.

"Why are you asking?"

Yuzu smacked something heavy on the table.

"Because he left this- his bag."

Karin stared at the bag. If he hadn't gone to see a patient like he'd said, where had that idiot of a father gone off to?

While she wondered on the whereabouts of her father, a lone dark form was making its way over rooftops, unseen by those on the ground. The usually comedic expression had been replaced by one of utter seriousness, eyes focused only ahead. The pace slowed down slightly as his destination came into view. Landing gracefully on the roof, he started to walk to the next end where another person sat waiting, back turned to him.

"You're here. I half-expected you to ditch me."

The man turned at the greeting.

"Why would I?" he returned, "It's not everyday that my old friend calls me up so suddenly after all."

"It's **has** been a while, hasn't it?"

The man watched the other stop next to him, light and cigarette, take a drag and pass it on for him to do the same. He took it without a word, inhaled deeply and passed it out in a thin haze before addressing him.

"Twenty years isn't it? Or are we counting from the last three? You look well though and I'm glad to see that thing isn't affecting your abilities anymore."

"I've had time to settle in," the bearded man returned.

"While I am happy with your visit," the other man began, "I'm curious, why the sudden visit?"

The bearded man gave a light laugh.

"To hear you ask that, it makes me laugh since I know you are already aware of my purpose," the bearded man returned.

"I figured," the other man confirmed before moving from his perch on the end of the roof to stand next to the man, "I did say it though, didn't I? When it's time, I'll carry through on my words."

"And it isn't yet?"

"No," the man answered, "Not yet…but soon…I'm keeping an eye on him now but it'll be soon."

"I'm a little worried."

A raised eyebrow met the confided words.

"I'm sure that even you felt it today…it's coming back. It's only a matter of time before it becomes a troublesome matter again."

"Why are you worried?" the other man returned, taking a long draw and exhaling, "It's still a matter of time before that happens. The memories will resurface long before it does."

He passed the cigarette back and the man took it, taking a long drag and making circles as he exhaled before he spoke.

"I'll leave it to you then," he stated. He gave a mirthless laugh. "The things we get ourselves into, eh?"

A small smile curved the other man's lips.

"Like old times."

There was a comfortable silence then. A few puffs and the cigarette was passed over again.

The other man drew in and exhaled slowly.

"So are you ready for your part, old friend? He doesn't remember right now, but he's bound to sooner or later…sooner from the looks of it."

"I guess," the bearded man answered, "It was only a matter of time anyway."

"So realistic," the other man murmured before taking another drag, "I kind of miss that."

"You always knew where to find me," the bearded man returned, "You can still visit."

"I may just take you up on that."

"I'll look forward to it," the bearded man answered starting to turn away, "Just don't wait for the years to pass by before you do, Kisuke."

Green eyes watched him go beneath the cloud of smoke, watched him until he was no longer visible before raising eyes to the sky and taking another deep drag.

"Together again, ka?" he murmured before dropping the cigarette and crushing it beneath his sandals, "I'm looking forward to it, Kurosaki."

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He must have fallen asleep. The room was dark when he opened his eyes and there was only silence. The player must have stopped some time ago. He reached up to pull the earphones from his ear. In the dim light from the moon through his window, he glimpsed the gaily wrapped package on the table at the end of the bed. The glittery paper bounced back the light, making it seem all too cheerful for the otherwise dismal room.

His thank-you gift.

He hadn't even gotten to open it and see what it was. He sat up and reached for it, settling it on his lap. The paper wasn't hard to remove and within a few minutes, he was staring at…he turned it over…and found himself smiling a little.

_Inoue Orihime. She really was a strange girl._

He started to put it back in the box. The light flicked on suddenly causing him to blink and pause in the middle of recovering it with the paper.

A petite shadow fell over him.

"So, care to tell me what happened today?"

He stared up in surprise before looking back down, the realization hitting him then that he wasn't as pissed off about it like he had been before.

"It's nothing," he returned now.

Rukia gave him a skeptical look but let him be. When she had come up, he was already sleeping and little by little the pressure had been stabilizing itself until she felt there was no need to wake him up.

"Ok," she accepted, "Let's go down for dinner. Yuzu and Karin's been waiting for you."

"For me? They're big enough to eat dinner by themselves now," Ichigo returned getting up nonetheless, "Oyaji's there too."

"Ojisan just returned from seeing a patient," Rukia informed him.

"I see," he returned, "Well, let's go. I'm feeling hungry anyway."

He grabbed a change of clothes.

"I'm gonna take a shower first…won't be long."

Rukia watched him go. She was of two minds. The pressure she had felt today was different from before…him yet not him. She wondered if she should say something.

"You okay?"

She snapped out of her thoughts at the concerned question from the door.

"I'm fine," she returned.

"Good," he stated before starting to walk away again, "then get out of my room, pervert, and stop standing there. I know you want to see my naked, young body…"

"Why you…"

She stopped at the soft chuckle.

He wasn't acting any different than usual. _Maybe I won't tell him_, she thought now. _Maybe later… _

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_**Please remember to review- just drop a line that says you are enjoying it or to give criticisms to improve the story. **_


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Sorry about the long break. I started my clinical rotations and come back so tired in the evenings that I can hardly keep awake. On top of that, I had no internet for a week and the chapters that I had finished now have to be redone since I lost all that information when my system decided to crash. Anywhoo's we are back on track and, though I can't say I will update as often as before, I will try my best to do so as quickly as I can. Thanks to everyone who stuck with me and this story and just dropped a line to say they were enjoying it. I really appreciate it and hope that this chapter and the others are as entertaining. A s usual review if you can!

Now on to the story….

_**Chapter 5: Head on Collision **_

"How about a break?"

Ichigo looked up from the textbook he was looking into at Tatsuki's voice, glancing up at the clock in the huge library. It was almost six. He checked his watch, not quite believing they had been at it three hours already.

"My ass is just about dead," Tatsuki stated now as she stood up and stretched, "how long have we been sitting here?"

"Three hours."

The answer didn't come from him but from Sado.

"But we got a lot done," Orihime offered cheerfully, "with this, the entry exams shouldn't be very hard at all."

"You're way too optimistic," Tatsuki teased, ruffling her bangs.

"Nothing is impossible but the impossible," Orihime stated, missing the looks of puzzlement following that statement, "It's just a pity Ryo-chan and the others had to leave already."

"I wouldn't worry about Ryo too much," Tatsuki put in, "She's always been the top girl in our group so she's gonna do well whether she studies with us or not."

"I think we should all take a break," Rukia stated, "We've been at it nonstop. Besides, I'm starving."

"Hm," Sado agreed.

"Yay! Time for a snack then," Orihime chirped from across the table, pulling out a bento.

"Oh, what did you bring?" Rukia questioned from next to him.

Orihime opened the box with a flourish and tilted it for her to see.

"Today's snack is a feast of rolled eggs with sweet red bean paste, pickles and ripe bananas."

_What the hell kind of food was that_…

"It looks kind of strange to me," Rukia commented innocently.

"Orihime's lunch always looks weird," Tatsuki whispered back.

"Oh," Rukia murmured.

"Are the vending machines working?"

Tatsuki looked over to Sado at the question.

"I think so. They don't usually lock them since a lot of teams train after school anyway."

The big bodied guy stood.

"I'm going to get a snack," he announced as he moved towards the door.

"Did you manage to schedule a time for Ishida to meet with us yet, Orihime?" Tatsuki voiced as Sado went through the door.

"Iie," Orihime answered around a mouthful of food, "Ishida-kun is always busy."

"I wonder if he'll show up at all then," Tatsuki wondered aloud, "that guy doesn't talk much and doesn't have any friends it seems but since he's always had top scores, he's a big help at times like these."

"I'm his friend," Orihime put in. "Ishida-kun may seem a bit standoffish and quiet…but he's kind and tries to help people who come to him, no matter how busy he is."

"Hey, you seem to know him pretty well, Orihime. Are you two close or something?" Tatsuki teased.

The girl waved her hands frantically.

"No, no…we met in the handicraft club and since I still have some troubles with my sewing, Ishida-kun's always been nice enough to help me get it right. Ishida-kun is really great at sewing! He can mend teddy bears in seconds and do pretty doll's dresses. He may even save the world one day with his sewing."

He didn't get the last part at all but that was Orihime for you. He'd never met such an enigma as she was- uncommonly wise and insightful one minute and then totally out of the loop the rest of the time.

"I'm going for a walk," Rukia announced standing abruptly.

"I'll come out with you," Tatsuki offered. "I could use the exercise. You coming Orihime?"

The girl looked down at her half-eaten food and as if in answer, her stomach growled rather loudly.

"Ah, gomen," she apologized, her face red with embarrassment, "I skipped lunch today so…"

"I guess I'll take that as a no then," Tatsuki said with a smile before turning to follow Rukia out of the room.

Orihime turned back to her food with a relish until she suddenly realized that Ichigo was still sitting there looking at her stuff her face like a pig. She turned as red as a beet, turning away quickly before he could see it.

"Are you alright?" he asked then.

She nodded vigorously, afraid to speak, swallowing hard and choked. In an instant, he was at her back, gently thumping her back until her coughing subsided. By then, tears were streaming from her eyes and she was more than a little embarrassed.

"Are you alright?"

"I-A hundred percent," she returned, voice sounding normal before adding in a whisper, "Gomen."

"Um…well…there's no need to apologize," he stated back, a hand going to the back of his head. "I probably made you uncomfortable…"

"No, no…that's not it," she hastened to rebut, waving her hands and forgetting the bento box on her lap. As the contents hit the floor, she couldn't help but think this was just getting from bad to worst by the minute.

"Here, let me help you," he offered as she bent to clean up the spilled food.

"It's not necessary," she returned, "It's not that much. I can do it by myself…"

She didn't finish when he bent and started picking up some of the stuff.

She watched him for a few seconds before bending her head to the task at hand again.

As she turned away from him to get the pieces that had fallen away from them, his eyes went to her. _She really was a strange girl_, he thought again. Not paying attention then, instead of the pickle on the floor, he grabbed her hand.

Her head shot up, her face coloring prettily, even as his own face went a shade or two darker. Instantly he released her.

"Sumanai," he apologized.

"I-iie…it's nothing," she replied.

They cleaned up the rest of the food in silence and without a word between them until, finally, it was done.

"Well…um…I think I'm going to go get my hands cleaned up," he said straightening up.

"Hai," Orihime replied. She watched him until she couldn't see him anymore before turning her eyes on her hand, a worried frown marring her features.

_Just now, what had that feeling been_?

When he'd accidentally touched her just now, she could have sworn she felt something- something inside of him. She had felt it so palpably right then- a mass of throbbing energy inside him- dark and light at the same time, alive…She shook her head mentally. That wasn't it. It wasn't a thing that she had felt…it was a power, a strange force inside of Kurosaki-kun.

Or had she just imagined it? She wondered if she should ask him about it.

She moved to empty the ruined lunch in the bin. She stopped suddenly as a strange sensation watched over her. Her stomach churned in apprehension. Worried, she didn't even bother to empty the contents. She just dropped it on the table and went to the window.

It was not quite dark outside as yet but there wasn't a lot of light illuminating the area she could see. From what she could tell though, there wasn't anybody out there. Still, she got an eerie feeling. She shivered, hugging herself against the cold that danced down her spine. Where had the others gone? They'd been gone for a while…

She stood there for a while, eyes searching for any sign of her companions. She was blazingly aware right now of just how vulnerable she was, all alone in the big library but her worry and focus was not on herself but on them. She had a strange feeling that right now, she was the safest of them all….

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The first beep came as she was drying her face. Flashing the water from her hands, she grabbed the phone tracker. By then, it wasn't one dot on the screen but one…two…three…six! She didn't waste anymore time. She had to find Ichigo and get the others out of here.

As she ran along the corridors trying to get back to the library, she spotted Tatsuki through the glass. She was standing outside on a little ledge overlooking the football field, her eyes to the sky. Automatically her gaze followed. What she saw made her heart quicken and her feet change direction.

Right above the girl, in the direction she was looking, there was a growing tear in the sky, several arms and appendages trying to rip through it into this world.

"Tatsuki-chan."

The girl turned away at the sound of her name to see Rukia running towards her. Her eyes held a hint of fear and Rukia couldn't blame her. Even from here she could tell that the hollows she had seen on the radar were already here.

"We should head back," she began, tone light so as not to cause the girl to feel more apprehensive, "It's getting late and we only have a few more problems to go…"

"Sure," Tatsuki agreed. Her eyes went back to the sky before returning to her. "Rukia…can you see that?"

"See what?" Rukia asked, really confused. She hadn't thought the girl was actually seeing something even though she had been looking in the right spot as only people with high spiritual pressure like Ichigo could actually see the hollows and shinigami. She'd just thought that she was looking because she sensed something there because normal people sometimes did.

"That," Tatsuki answered pointing right at the growing crack, "It's like the sky is opening…and it's still blurry…but I can see like there are things trying to…"

She broke off and let her hand drop.

"What am I saying?" she asked then, "Things like that aren't possible."

Rukia didn't want to tell her they were and that she wasn't wrong right then. She was also too busy trying to figure out why Tatsuki could see them to even respond.

Beep. Beep.

She reached for the radar in her pocket again, eyes widening when she saw the screen.

"Is something wrong?" Tatsuki asked seeing her expression.

"Noth…" she started to answer back until she felt the hollow arrive behind her.

She had to make a quick decision right then. She wouldn't be able to really fight in this condition but she wasn't supposed to be exposing her identity either. If Tatsuki could see the crack and the hollows, she would very well be able to see her. On the other hand, if she didn't go into her shinigami form, they might all die. The decision made, she popped the little green tablet in her mouth.

"Wha…? Rukia?" Tatsuki asked in surprise when not one but two Rukias appeared before her, one in the school uniform, and the other in a black kimono.

"There isn't time to explain," the Rukia in the black stated then, "I will explain everything later…right now, Tatsuki, please just trust me. Get behind me."

As the girl did as she was told, a blast echoed through the quiet evening at another part of the school.

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When the blast sounded through the air, Ichigo was already running towards the sound. He'd felt the hollows and had already been on his way, stopping only once to 'borrow' one of the katana's he'd seen on the Kendo club wall. He skidded around the corner and came to a sudden halt as he spied a lone dark-haired figure in the middle of the path, back turned to him. He was looking upward and, of their own accord, his eyes followed.

There was nothing there.

In confusion, he looked back at the boy but his eyes hadn't moved. He was going to say something but then he felt it, the pressure signaling the arrival of several hollows. His eyes scanned about as the feeling intensified. Where were they going to come from?

The sky above the boy opened then and before he could blink, a hollow was right on top of the boy. He reacted in the one way his body directed.

By the time the boy finally took notice of him, he was bringing the sword down on the hollows head. Their eyes met.

"You…! What are you doing here?" he questioned in surprise as he landed on the ground again.

"Leave," was all he got in reply.

He opened up his mouth to say something else but suddenly found the words stuck in his throat when the boy materialized a bow and arrow in his hand and pointed it at him.

"Stay out of it, Kurosaki," he ordered, "If you had stayed away in the first place this wouldn't have happened."

"What are you talki…"

"I warned you didn't I?" the boy continued as he neared them, his face unreadable, "I told you to stay away…but did you listen? This," he said aiming the bow right at his head, "is exactly why I dislike your kind, Kurosaki."

The arrow shot loose and his eyes widened as it came straight at him. He barely managed to duck out of the way. Behind him a howl sounded and he turned to see the disintegrating body of another hollow. A nerve started to tick wildly at his temples. _That guy…for that reason, that guy…_

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he shouted back at the boy, "You could have killed me, you prissy son of a bitch!"

"Who said that I wasn't trying to do exactly that?" the boy returned before adding coolly, "And it isn't 'prissy son of a bitch'. It's Ishida- Ishida Uryuu."

Ichigo didn't appreciate his tone but it really wasn't the time to argue he was reminded as one of the hollows who had arrived tried to smash him with its tail. If he lost his focus now, he wouldn't come out of this alive…and he had to- if only to teach this guy a lesson with his fists…

Ishida couldn't even look over to see if he had gotten out of it alive. He was too busy trying to keep track of the two hollows who seemed to be working together to get him. The big one with the build of an oversized juggernaut was attacking relentlessly, while the one with the fishlike head behind him kept trying to rip him to bits with his two sword-like appendages.

As he knocked back another arrow and let it rip, his eyebrows furrowed in a frown. In all his time fighting hollows, he had never seen so many converge in one place and from what he could tell, they were probably nine or ten already present on the school grounds and more was coming. He could feel it and knew that it had to do with the spiritual force leaking from the other boy- he had felt it from the beginning, then a tiny leak and told him to stay away but it seemed the leak had gotten stronger and he hadn't heeded the warning. Hence the predicament now.

…but still…why were they attacking all together now? Something was off about this style of attack but for the life of him, he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Idiot! What the hell are you thinking about at a time like this?"

His eyes registered the wailing hollow and the severed arm with slight interest, before returning to the boy.

"I don't need your help, Kurosaki. Do whatever you like but die on your own. Don't get in my way."

"Stop acting so high and mighty," Ichigo yelled at him, swinging hard at the claws coming down again, his voice slightly breathless, "The only way we are going to come out of this alive is to work together. There are too many…"

"I don't need your help, Kurosaki so don't interfere. If you want to interfere, do it on your own because I won't help you. I'll never risk myself to save people like you."

Ichigo felt a vein ticking at his temple. _What a hard-headed guy_! Didn't he realize the predicament they were in?

An arrow zoomed over his head and his head spun just in time to see the hollow that had been about to attack him from above turn to dust.

"Idiot! If you're just going to stand there and be a happy target…go do it somewhere else!"

"I thought you said you weren't going to save me?"

Ishida opened his mouth to answer, then closed it again as nothing came out. Having no response, he turned his back on the boy and started to attack the oncoming hollows again.

"You're just talk," Ichigo stated dodging another attack from the four armed monster, "Despite saying you don't care and all those other things…you do. It doesn't really matter though, what you think or why you think that way right now…all that matters is that we need to work together to get out of this alive. When it's done, we can have the pleasure of beating each other down as much as we like. Right now, faced with so much of these things, we should just fight first, talk later."

For the first time, a small smirk curved the other boy's mouth.

"It seems you're not such an idiot after all, Kurosaki," he praised, letting go of another arrow, this time striking the flying monster, "Prepare yourself for after then…I'll make sure to beat you until you cry."

"Keh…you wish," Ichigo returned taking out the smallest of the five that had been running below the winged monster with one heavy blow to the head.

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She was getting that feeling again. She paused and glanced up at the sky for the tenth time in the last half an hour. Something was definitely wrong. The strange howling sound echoed in the empty room and goosebumps pimpled her skin.

What was that sound? She wondered even as she wondered where the others were. They were taking so long. She got up from the table and went to the window. She was getting a bad vibe from all of this…

She looked about but as before, there was no one around. She started to turn back when her eyes glimpsed some kind of movement. Thinking it was one of the others, she turned back. She was two feet or so from the huge window when something slammed into the glass and the whole thing shattered, sending her body as well as glass flying. Instinctively, she raised her hand to cover her face, not minding the pain as her body slammed into the table, knocking over chairs. Several cuts and gashes appeared in her skin as well as embedded glass fragments.

When it was done, gingerly, she lowered her arm.

One word echoed in her mind then…Run! She managed to struggle to her feet but her legs didn't seem to want to obey the rest of the warning.

_What is that thing_, she wondered at the huge beast looking right back at her. It had a human enough looking body except for it's gigantic size and the large hole in the middle of its chest but the head was like that of an ancient saber-toothed tiger she'd once seen in a book, large fanlike teeth sticking from the side of it's mouth. The head moved and the eyes stared her down.

_Run_, her mind screamed again but her body remained frozen even as that thing started towards her.

"Get down."

Someone tackled her to the ground, her body slamming painfully into the ground once more as Rukia's voice chanted above her.

"_O Lord, mask of flesh and bone, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of man, truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws!_ Hadou 33: Sokatsui!"

A big blue ball of spiritual energy exploded from the girl's outstretched palms and slammed into the monster. It made a loud howling sound even as its body started to disappear.

"Orihime, are you alright?"

She stared up into Tatsuki's familiar face, her eyes still wide.

"Tatsuki-chan…"

"Thank goodness," Tatsuki sighed.

Orihime's head shifted.

"Rukia-chan…why did you change?" she asked then, noting the dark robes, "What's going on?"

Rukia frowned. First Tatsuki and now Orihime…how was it that both of them could see her in this form?

"I can't explain right now," Rukia put in quickly then, "We have to get out of here first."

"I don't understand," Orihime began as Tatsuki helped her up, "Why are you so beaten up…and Tatsuki-chan…?"

"Don't worry about it," Tatsuki cut in, "We're both alright and you're more beat up and bloody than both of us. Let's just get out of here."

Tatsuki started to pull her behind her. As they went through the door, Orihime's eyes fell on the broken table and overturned chairs with their stuff in the middle of the mess. Sado-kun and Kurosaki-kun, she thought then, they still hadn't come back…

"Don't come."

Rukia's voice cut into her thoughts.

"Stay here until I come back to get you."

Orihime hated that tone…

"Ku-Rukia-chan," she called out worriedly as the girl started towards the exit alone.

Rukia stopped and turned to look at her over her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Orihime," she said then, a small smile playing about her lips, "I'll come back safely. I'll definitely come back for you and Tatsuki-chan."

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"Shit," Ichigo cursed then as he skidded across the ground on his ass.

"Get up, Kurosaki!" Ishida ordered, notching another of those strange blue arrows into that even stranger bow, "I don't have time to save your stupid hide right now."

Ichigo made to retort that he hadn't asked him to but saved his energy instead to scramble out of the way of the oncoming blast.

As he landed, he did a quick count. There were six hollows now, two of them just waiting in the back while the other four kept attacking them relentlessly. He guessed they were just waiting for an opportunity to jump in but wasn't prepared to give them one. Still, it was getting harder and harder to keep an eye on the two watchers with the other four attacking so much. He glanced quickly over at Ishida. His fingers were visibly red with blood from firing so much and his movements were much slower now from fatigue. They wouldn't last long in this condition at all. There had to be something he could do…

He dodged a sharp claw aimed at his head and suddenly realized how far he had gone from the other boy. Had this been perhaps been a plan to separate them from the beginning? As he wondered, something shifted in his periphery.

"Watch out!"

The shout came even though he already knew the boy wasn't going to hear it in the middle of fending off the two hollows he was fighting with and all the howling going on. It came anyway as he also already knew that he wasn't going to get there on time, although he was already running there at his fastest speed. It felt like he wasn't moving at all. The spikes glistened in the evening light as they raced for the defenseless boy. He wouldn't reach him…

By the time Ishida saw the attack, the spikes were already poised to attack. He was trapped he realized then, unable to dodge as surrounded as he was. Was this how it was going to end then?

His eyes widened as just as suddenly, something big blocked his view. A strong palm slammed into his chest and he found himself falling backwards, unable to scream or look away as the sharp spike meant for him impaled the dark-skinned boy.

"Chad!!"

Something hot and burning twisted in Ichigo's gut as the spikes ran through the boy's back and straight out of his abdomen. It filled him with a rage he hadn't thought he was capable of- blinding, white, hot rage. As the boy's already bloody body fell to the ground with a sickly thud, the dam holding the rage split open.

"That's enough!"

With that shout, the area suddenly became flooded with an overwhelming reiatsu. 88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

"Seems like we're right on time."

The assistant looked over at his blonde-headed boss.

"Tessai-san, please attend to the injured. I'll go and find Kurosaki."

"Hai."

As the two split up, the blonde-haired man sighed. This was becoming as troublesome as he had expected.

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Hah hah hah hah…

_Was that panting, labored breathing coming from him_?

He couldn't move anymore. It hurt so bad to breath much less move. He stared at the blood dripping through the fingers clutching his left side, dripping down into his already blood-soaked pants. He was losing way too much blood. His head felt light and dizzy. His knees, weak from running and dodging finally gave out and he collapsed to the ground.

A bitter smile curved his lips. Even though he had said that it was enough, he hadn't been able to do anything except get beaten up like this. He'd been nothing but a mere mouse for them, too powerless to do anything except get Sado out of the way. That was how he'd gotten stabbed in the side- he'd run to get to Sado and the hollow had tried to attack again.

He looked over at the unconscious youth propped up a few feet from where he had fallen. At least he was okay for now. His eyes turned back to the archer who, slightly less injured than he was, was still fighting. He looked down at his bloody body. He should be hurting like hell, he thought then, but strangely enough, it didn't hurt as much as it should have. Instead, he mused while lying on the ground, everything seemed dimmed- the pain, his perception of his surroundings… everything suddenly seemed strangely and almost pleasantly distant.

"Let me out."

The voice sounded faraway and distant. He struggled against his closing lids to see who it was that was speaking.

"Kurosaki," Ishida called, "get your ass up and get out of here."

"I'm not running away," he replied stubbornly, struggling to get up, "I'm going to fight…I have to ….Tatsuki and Rukia, Sado and Inoue…I …"

As he struggled to his knees, a familiar looking pair of feet came into view. He raised his head in shock.

"Geta boushi…"

"That was a good decision, Kurosaki-kun," the shopkeeper stated in answer lifting his cane, "if you want to fight…then fight."

He lifted the cane and before Ichigo realized what his intentions were, he'd stamped him soundly with the cane on his forehead- and through -and then the world became black.

"Ichigo."

The voice sounded in the dark, familiar yet unfamiliar. He squinted as he opened his eyes, wondering why and when it had gotten so bright. The next moment he found himself staring up at the sky in amazement, the reality of it still escaping him- well it couldn't be reality, his mind rejected even as he thought it…what kind of reality has clouds floating to the ground?

"It's been a while, Ichigo."

"Wha…? Who's saying that? Who are you?"

"Who am I, he asks. And here I thought there was no one in the world that knew me better than you. Look over here boy."

Ichigo shifted slightly to his left and there, standing on a pole a few feet away from him, was a long dark-haired man dressed in full black with dark glasses.

"Have you really forgotten about me, Ichigo?"

Ichigo studied him. He was bad at faces- always had been but somehow he couldn't think he'd forget such a remarkable face- anyone with such a gloomy look would be hard to forget. His eyes widened as said face appeared suddenly before him.

"I'm surprised," the man spoke again his breath fanning his face as he was so close, "You and I have been together for so long, and yet you don't remember me. I'm a little hurt, Kurosaki Ichigo. "

"My name…how do you know my name?" Ichigo questioned.

"Easy," the man returned, "Like I said, you and I have a long history."

He reached up and removed the shades, dark eyes intense in their gaze on him.

"I see," he said finally after a few seconds, "They erased everything."

"Erased? What are you talking about? Who are they?"

The man continued as if ignoring that he was speaking to him.

"That's why he sent you in, eh? That bastard…"

"Oi," Ichigo called trying to get his attention, "I was asking you something."

The man turned his attention on him then.

"Tell me Ichigo, why are you here? Why are you wearing those dark robes? Holding that sword?"

Ichigo looked down at his words noticing for the first time the dark robes so very like Rukia's shinigami garb and the huge sword he held in his right hand. Even as he wondered why, apart of him was telling him he knew…it felt slightly familiar…

"You don't remember…I guess it was just never going to be easy."

He stared at him then, the intense expression on his face causing Ichigo to feel slightly nervous.

"Do you trust me, Ichigo?"

"Huh? What the hell are you talking about, old man? I just met you…How can I …?"

"Do you trust me, Ichigo?"

He faltered.

"I…"

"Make up your mind quickly, Ichigo. Times running out…you want to save them, don't you?"

"Yes…"

"Trust me then, Ichigo."

Before he could form a reply, the man's hand slammed into his chest, palm open. A fierce burning raced through his body and he found himself stumbling back from just the one hit, tumbling off the side of the building. Fear struck in his heart.

"Old man!"

"Don't worry," the man called down, "This is the only way to undo the seal. You have to release me yourself. All you have to do is call my name- call my name Ichigo. I won't let you fall and it will all come back to you- just say it. Say my name."

"I don't know your name," Ichigo shouted back, "I've never even met you before."

"Say it," the man urged. "Say it if you want to live."

He was getting further and further away. Ichigo looked behind him. There was only hard concrete there. If he fell…_What do I do_, he thought frantically. _What do I do_?

"Say it! Say it and the fall will end," the man urged. "It will all end."

A name…what could it be?

"Boy, what are you waiting for!? You've known it all along. Just say it!"

The ground was coming closer.

_A name…a name_

He was almost there…

He closed his eyes.

_A name…a name…_

Nothing came to mind. He was going to hit…he was going to die.

"Do you want to live, boy!? Say it!"

Images of his family flashed in his mind, his new friends, images of the attack on Chad…

Yes, he wanted to live. He wanted to be alive to save them…he wanted…

He opened his mouth and gave his answer.

"Zangetsu!"

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This was taking too long.

It was the one thought that kept repeating in her mind even as she jumped out of the way of another attack. It was taking way too long to defeat this hollow…why? Something wasn't right but she couldn't put her finger on it. She couldn't even stand still for even the few seconds needed to activate her technique as she was, jumping from the ten appendages coming at her from all directions. Even with her speed, she was barely managing to keep up with the attacks.

She landed on the ground and jumped out of the way of the tentacle coming straight at her. As she rolled out of the way, her senses picked up on the presence of another hollow. _Just where were they all crawling from_? she wondered.

Her eyes sought out the next hollow as she ducked yet another attack. She found him, slightly behind the first hollow. Before she could figure out a plan of action on what to do then, however, another loud blast sounded in the air and the area became flooded with a familiar reiatsu

"Wha…?"

The unfinished question died on her lips as a heavy hit landed in her midsection, pushing her body through the air for a few feet. _How foolish to have forgotten the enemy in front of me_, she thought over the pain then.

"Rukia-chan!"

She turned her head to see Orihime running towards her, Tatsuki following behind.

"Orihime, Tatsuki, run away," she called out, "Get Sado and Ichigo and run away from here."

"No," Orihime returned forcefully, reaching to help her up, totally ignoring the danger of the situation and her injuries, "I won't leave you here. We're friends aren't we?"

Friends!?

"And friends don't leave friends in danger," Tatsuki finished from Orihime's side, "We may not be much help, but we're not letting you fight alone."

"I don't want you to get injured, Rukia-chan," Orihime stated then, "I don't want Tatsuki-chan to be injured either. I want us to be able to eat lunch again and study together…so…for that reason, I will protect you and Tatsuki-chan. I won't let them hurt you anymore."

The second hollow chose that moment to fire a blast. They all saw it coming. Tatsuki, the faster to react then, used one hand to push Orihime out of the way before diving to the opposite direction, taking Rukia who had been closer to her, with her.

The fall slammed Orihime's shoulder into the ground but she didn't have time to think about just how much she hurt all over just then. As soon as that attack was fired, the hollow was setting to fire again, this time right at Tatsuki and Rukia. _I won't let them_, she thought pushing herself up and starting to move quickly to where the other girls were. _I won't let them hurt my friends. I will protect them._

The blast closed in so much as she neared that she could feel the air on her arms singeing. Defensively, she slid in front of them and raised her arms out as if the bounce the blast back.

"I won't let you hurt them," she screamed.

Unbeknownst to her, the two hairclips at her temples began to glow. A few seconds later, the heat disappeared and a bright yellow shield appeared in front of them, repelling the blast that would have surely killed them back into the hollow who had fired it.

Rukia was sure she had never seen anything like that but she didn't wait to ask or wonder about it. She seized her chance then and with the dust of the blast as her camouflage, raced forward and sliced through the unprepared hollow with the tentacles. As she turned back to see if the other were alright, the shield suddenly cracked and started breaking off. Orihime slumped forward and Tatsuki had to grab her quickly before she hit the ground.

"Are you guys alright?"

She nearly jumped at the question, releasing a small sigh when one of the boys in the class appeared round the corner- Ishida was his name if she recalled correctly-, struggling under the weight of a bloody unconscious Sado. As they came closer she noticed the small piece of dark armor on Sado's arm.

"We're okay," Tatsuki returned in her silence, "You guys?"

"Could be better," Ishida replied. "Did you guys see Kurosaki?"

Rukia felt her heart thump heavily. Ichigo….

"Kurosaki-kun is just fine," a voice broke in then, "I will take you to see him but before that…it seems like we all need to talk."

Several steps away, four pairs of eyes watched the group struggle off.

"Got anything useful?"

"Mmm," came the reply.

"Can we go now then? The failure of these lower level animals is just pissing me off. Despite surrounding the humans, they proved so useless. They are a disgrace."

"Why are you getting so worked up?" the other form asked, "They were noting but pets, pawns to be used to get the bigger fish. Our objective was to use them to get the information and we've done that. Our job is done, as is theirs."

"Bloody animals," the other spat, ignoring the previous comments, "I should have been out there."

"Then no one would have been left alive. How would we get the information we need then?"

The first form sucked his teeth in response and started walking off.

"Information…that's all you care about," he said, sticking his hands in his pocket.

"And fighting is all you care about," the other responded drily as they both stepped into the dark and disappeared.

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"So you decided to come along?"

The dark-haired man turned as the boy's consciousness faded, to the presence across from him.

Dark eyes filled with mirth.

"Of course. Why should you have all the fun, old man?"


	6. Chapter 6

_An: Sorry it took so long to update but the next chapter is here now. Thanks to all those who are reading and a special thank you to those who continue to review my work. Your words are a great encouragement for my writing and I really appreciate all the encouragement. I hope you will also continue to inspire me in the future. _

_So on to the story. _

_Chapter 6:Resolutions _

"Oyaji!"

The paper lowered at the same time a panting Yuzu entered the kitchen, her eyes wide with worry.

"He's not there...Ichi-nii...have you seen him?"

_Che, that idiot. _

He raised the paper again.

"Who cares? That kid is old enough to..."

Thwap!!

The solid sound of bundled paper met his head, causing the coffee he had been about to sip to slop over the table cloth.

"You know you could at least act a little more concerned, you carefree old man. That's your only son who was brought home last night by some huge wrestler guy, bleeding all over the floor and all beaten up. Show some concern..."

Across from him, Yuzu's eyes had filled with tears with the reminder of last night, threatening to spill over at any minute. He sighed. _That baka...worrying his sisters...I really should give him hell for worrying my precious girls if he dares to come back... _

He let the paper lower again to the table.

"Tsk...Who would be concerned over such a foolish son that let himself get beaten up by a bunch of punks...." at this the tears spilled over, causing him to back track and opt for a more antique expression, "Ah...Yuzu, Yuzu-chan, don't cry over that idiot. Come to the warmth of Daddy's manly chest and it will all be better..."

"Onii...chan..."

He sighed inaudibly at the broken whisper, even more affected by that than her not even moving towards him at all.

"Alright," he said slapping down the paper exaggeratedly, striking a heroic stance as he stood, "I will go and find your wayward brother and bring him back home. I will search to the ends of the earth, fast on worms and dirt...I will run on hot coals...I will do it if it will make my precious girls happy..."

"So hurry up and go," Karin returned pushing him to the door, "and don't bother coming back until you find him, you hear me baka jii-san."

"Yuzu-chan, Yuzu-chan...Karin-chan is being mean to Daddy again..." and the fake water works on his end began.

Antics aside, it was really hard to imagine that the man now walking down the street was the same as the one described above. Gone was the goofy, unserious father. No, those two words were the exact opposite of the expression now seen on his face. Not even the flirting, interested looks were enough sway him today as they would have normally. No, the handsome dark-haired man, coolly smoking a cigarette, was all business right now.

_Che_, he thought as he started up the hill, _that kid is still too easy to read. It hadn't been hard to figure out where he would have gone to at all...stupid kid..._

Never mind, he still hated that place.

He brushed the thought aside as the large iron wrought gates came into view. It didn't matter how many times he visited, he couldn't help but think then, he would never get used to it or like this place. He ignored the way his hand tightened on the bag he held as he passed through the gate- he'd at least matured past that.

He found him exactly where he thought he would- orange head bowed, hands buried in his pocket, over the lonely stone memoir. He sighed again. The kid really hadn't changed...

"Yo," he greeted with a small wave.

"Leave me alone."

"Is that any way to talk to your father?" the voice returned in a familiar manner, "and I came all this way ..."

The boy didn't respond.

He sighed. This was Ichigo. He was never going to make it easy...he should have known that much.

"Here," he said trying another tactic, letting the bag hit Ichigo in the head purposefully, "Yuzu made you some food since you were foolish enough to run out of the house without any."

"I don't want it."

"Take it."

He ended the sentence with another hit to the orange head.

"I said I don't want it."

"I said take it."

A throb of annoyance started to beat palpably at Ichigo's temples as the bag hit again.

"I said I don't want it! Just go home and leave me alone!"

"Ah, stop behaving like such a spoilt child. I said you should take it."

The bag collided with his head again and his temper ran over. Before he could control his actions, he'd rounded quickly on the smirking older man and smacked him one, straight in the jaw. The hit collided solidly, sending the older man back a few steps.

"I...said...I...don't...want ...it," Ichigo punctuated angrily now, "So just stop kidding around and leave me the hell alone!"

"Tch...you still hit like a girl," came the reply to the tirade as Isshin turned to face him, wiping the trickling blood from his busted lip with the back of his hand. "but at least you're acting normal. Brooding and moping doesn't suit you."

His response made Ichigo feel exhausted all at once. With a heavy sigh, he resolutely turned his back on him.

"Just go home," he said tiredly, "I'm sure you didn't come all this way to bring me breakfast but whatever it is...just leave it alone and go home."

The bag lowered as he noted the tightening of the boy's already clenched fist. He was this wound up, huh? He should probably get to the point then…

He turned and faced the same direction, wondering where to begin.

"I hope you're not expecting me to say sorry," he began after a while, "because I'm not- so if you were expecting some crappy thing like that, you should just forget it."

The boy didn't take the bait. He fancied he was that hell bent on ignoring him until he spoke.

"They were after me again, weren't they?"

This was not what he had been expecting. Questions, anger maybe…but not this quiet resignation.

Isshin took a puff from his cigarette and watched the smoke curl and disappear before attempting a response- even if it didn't quite need the effort.

"Hmmm."

The teen was quiet again but he could see the tension tighten his body. His hands clenched and unclenched by his side.

Watching him, the ghosts of old thoughts haunted him. Drawing on the cigarette, he forcefully pushed them aside. But the ghosts from three years ago were being annoyingly stubborn today…

Three years ago-it seemed closer than that but it had already been three years- three years since he had introduced his son to this life. It had seemed like a good enough idea back then. The boy had shown immense potential and his spiritual energy had been an overwhelming force.

However, he hadn't accounted for anything else happening during that time and what had been a good decision had turned into a big mistake pretty quickly. He'd ended up losing more than he could ever have bargained for instead of gaining what he'd thought he would.

Shit, he'd lost his wife and almost his own life twice…And for what??

He'd done nothing but condemn him- his only son. Condemn him to a life of abnormalities. Never again would the boy ever live a normal life because he'd made that choice and opened those doors so very prematurely. At that very moment, on that fateful day, he'd cursed him with the same fate he'd wanted to avoid in the first place, almost shattered him…

He might like to have thought in the end he'd at least saved him or saved _something _after it was all said and done- they were both still here, right?- but more and more, he didn't think there was any truth in that. He hadn't saved him then…all he had done was merely postponed the inevitable and now it was only a matter of time again…

The past, like it always seemed to do, would come back and bite him in the ass.

Isshin sighed and leaned off the stone epitaph he'd been supporting his weight on.

What did any of that matter now anyway? He knew what he had to do now. He wasn't as nearly as naïve as he had been back then. He knew better and he wasn't going to let the past repeat itself. This time, things would be different.

This time, he wouldn't fail.

"Why is it that I always seem to hurt the people around me?"

The quiet question brought his attention to the present.

"It's the same as before. Because of me…Mom…Mom died. Yuzu and Karin were hurt so badly. You…you nearly got yourself killed- because of me…"

That night echoed with startling quality in Ichigo's mind again. His hands tightened, half moons digging into the soft skin of his palm.

"I couldn't do anything then…not this time either. What good is it then…this power, this ability if I can't do anything? If I'm still so weak? What good is any of it if I can't even protect the people around me? If I can't even protect myself? I only hurt them…that's all I do…I hate it!!! I hate this…"

"Then why are you accepting it!? Why don't you do something about it?"

The words came out harsher than he expected but this self-pity was loathsome to him. Too much- it reminded him too much of the immature him, thinking the same thing after that night- No, he wouldn't let him resign himself- not when he could still change things for himself…

"Is that the type of man you've become, Ichigo? A coward that so easily is ready to turn on his heels and run? That's not the kind of man I raised you to be- nor the kind your mother raised …"

That set him off.

"Shut up! What do you understand?"

Isshin forcefully crushed the cigarette out under his foot before answering, his tone very sombre.

"More than you think kid."

The tone of voice reminded Ichigo that he was right and all at once he felt ashamed.

"Oyaji…"

"Look Ichigo," Isshin cut in, "It doesn't matter anymore. As much as we all want it to be different, that night did happen- everything happened and she's gone. People died. As bad as it was, it's the past now. There's nothing to be done about it. No matter what we do or think, it won't change any of that. But if it makes you feel this bad, then don't just feel bad about it- do something about it. Get stronger. Get stronger and atone for it by protecting as much as you can. Get stronger and make sure that there will never be another night like that again. There's no use in just having these feelings if you aren't going to do anything but feel sorry. If you feel regret, get stronger to overcome it. If you feel afraid, get strong enough to conquer it. I didn't raise any cowards Ichigo , so stop running! Stop running away from the things you fear and get stronger to beat your demons...and if it's him that you fear, get stronger to beat him into submission!"

_Get stronger ka?_

If only it were that easy...

"It was never going to be easy since it's come to this," Isshin continued in a calmer voice, "you can't change the past Ichigo, but you can make a better future. It's up to you what will happen now...your decision to make...so ask yourself- what do I want to do?"

The boy didn't respond and he thought perhaps he wouldn't answer him at all but then, he spoke.

"Oyaji...I want to get stronger. I don't want a repeat of the past. I don't want anyone else to be hurt because of me. I...I don't want to do that anymore. I want to protect them- Yuzu, Karin...everyone that I can..."

"That's a heavy resolution," Isshin returned now, serious, as he took up a familiar stance, digging his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "Are you willing to put your life on the line to keep it?"

Ichigo glanced down at the stone memoir. He owed it to her…

"I won't die so easily," he responded, "I won't give up this life that she gave me so easily. I told her I would protect her and I didn't. This time, I won't fail. I'll protect everything that is important to me- Karin, Yuzu, this town, everyone… I won't say anything heroic like I'll die trying ...but I won't go into it half-assedly either. I won't die foolishly but I want to do this...even if it costs me my life."

"Those are some strong words."

They were…but those were the truest reflections of his feelings. He didn't want anyone else to be hurt because of him and he was going to try his darndest to make sure that it wouldn't happen again.

"Here."

Ichigo stared down at the bag being offered to him before reluctantly accepting it. He already had a good idea now of the contents...

"You should go then," Isshin said now, "He's probably waiting for you already."

Ichigo didn't doubt that.

He gripped the bag tight, suddenly happy his father had come. His lips almost curved at the thought.

"You know," he said now, "this is kind of funny."

"Funny?" Isshin returned a little puzzled.

"Hmm," Ichigo returned, staring off in the distance, "I never thought I'd see the day you would start acting like a real responsible father."

Isshin laughed.

"As long as you're a pain in the ass brat, I guess there's sometimes I gotta act like that too," he returned.

"Whatever," Ichigo returned as he turned to walk past him, "just hurry up and go home, baka jii-san. You know how much you dislike this place."

But didn't they all...

"I'll go...in a minute," Isshin returned.

Ichigo made a sound to indicate he'd heard him and then with a small wave over his shoulder, he left, leaving his father alone with the remains of the woman, the center of their world…the woman who had died to save him- and the reason he wouldn't allow himself to fail this time. He refused to lose any more precious things…

He went directly to his destination and found his father's words to be quite true.

He was indeed waiting, seated idly on the steps of his shop. Seeing him there, he wondered now how he had not recognised him the first time but that man had wiped himself cleanly from his memories...and acted excellently in his pretence of not knowing him at all that time.

"Ahh...if it isn't Kurosaki-kun," he began, rising from his seated position, "What brings you here?"

"You can quit it," he responded, "the act. I already remember."

"Is that so?" the shopkeeper returned, "Then what can I do for you, Kurosaki-kun? I'm sure you're not here to catch up on old times."

"You already know," the boy answered, "but in case you want me to say it out loud, I want you to finish what you started."

"That," the shopkeeper responded, "is a tall order. It won't be easy. Are you sure Kurosaki-kun?"

"I didn't ask for easy," Ichigo responded.

"In that case, then right this way, Kurosaki-kun. We've been waiting."

"We?" Ichigo questioned as he followed him up to the door.

"Aa," the shopkeeper responded opening the door, "we."

"It's about time."

He started at the voice.

"Tatsuki!? What...?"

"Not just Tatsuki-chan," the shopkeeper returned, "everyone is here."

Everyone, Ichigo realised as he entered fully, included Sado and Orihime. Rukia still hadn't returned from her report to Soul Society though it seemed.

"What are you all doing here?" he questioned now.

"They're here for the same reason as you," the shopkeeper offered.

"Same as me?" Ichigo questioned.

"This guy here…he explained everything to us- about these hollows and what they do, about you and what happened yesterday," Tatsuki responded, "…I don' fully understand it even now- but I know what happened yesterday. That wasn't a dream -even if I still find it hard to believe. These bruises and cuts aren't an illusion- they hurt like hell!"

" Even so," she continued, "after last night and hearing things from this guy, there's just no way we could even think about continuing in ignorance. We can't just sit back and let those things kill people and consume souls. So we made the choice- all of us- we don't want those things hurting anyone else."

He was going to say those thoughts were nice but only thoughts since they couldn't do much else but then Sado spoke up.

"So, you said that once Ichigo came, you'd tell us more about these new abilities we all seem to have gotten since last night…"

"Ah, yes," Urahara responded, "that…"

Ichigo's brows drew together.

"The little 'gift' you've all received, courtesy of Kurosaki-kun…Hmm…to explain…I think you'll understand better once we start."

"Start what?" Ichigo asked, truly puzzled.

"Training," the shopkeeper answered.

As soon as he said that, another familiar voice added, "And I think we can help with that…right Renji?"

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"Is this really alright?"

It was already three days since that day and he was currently sitting on a rock, watching the orange top and red-head go at each other- something his eyes didn't even waver from on her entrance or question.

"Those kids...will it really be alright for them? Even with this..." she began again.

"He's going to need all the help he can get," he returned without looking at her. "Those kids will be all he has."

She sat down next to him.

"I admit, they have quite a bit of potential. That Arisawa girl, she has a natural style to my own. She would be great to teach some of my techniques..."

"Trying to create another Soifon?" he asked half-jokingly.

She glared at him before looking back out into the night.

"We tried before," she said softly after a little while, "And in the end, there was only so much we could do. It could be the same this time- only more people would be injured… And don't think I'm saying this because I doubt you- you know better than that…but those things…those kids could die if this fails."

"Aa," came the reply, "That's why I definitely won't fail this time."

And with this, it had come full circle- all the resolutions had been made…

But like the best made plans, they were only playthings for the devils handiwork.

_This chapter is a bit on the slow side but it's the foundation for a lot more so I hope guys will still like it. Please review and let me know what you think ___


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